


Where I Belong

by Anonymous



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Accidental Relationship, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blood Elves, Breast Fucking, Doggy Style, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fantastic Racism, Heterosexual Sex, Humor, Missionary Position, One Night Stands, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Refugees, Romance, Sex, Sex Toys, Sexual Humor, Shameless Smut, Trauma, Trolls, Vaginal Sex, War, i.e. racism between fantasy races, magic addiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 06:52:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 45,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10848714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Zhelios is a mage academy dropout who makes a living cleaning and maintaining the fountains in Dalaran.  Bridjin is an adventurer who is growing weary of the dangerous, wandering lifestyle.  What starts as a one-night stand after a chance meeting at a tavern unexpectedly grows into something far more.  Can their love and libidos survive the upheaval of the Mist of Pandaria era?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as "I'm going to write self-indulgent PWP instead of just fading to black when things get steamy like I usually do," and ended up having actual plot and characterization. Oh well. There's still plenty of smut, too. Enjoy.
> 
> This is set early in Mists of Pandaria, so Garrosh is Warchief and tensions are rising within the Horde. The Purge of Dalaran hasn't happened...yet.

  
Dalaran health inspectors kept the Horde inn known as "The Filthy Animal" from living up to its name too literally, but it was still a decidedly...well, _rustic_ establishment.   Zhelios was used to it, but there were times when he missed the old days, when there were only elves, humans and the occasional gnome around the city. Not that he disliked all the Horde races, of course.  The Forsaken turned his stomach and the furry Tauren did not appeal to him, but the others...  
  
The blood elf looked down the bar at where two women were chatting.  One was a troll, the other an orc, and both were in their prime, quite lovely even to his elven eyes.  

The orc's head was shaved bald except for a single plait down the back, and she wore dark green leather armor.  The easily visible muscles in her arms, thighs and shoulders marked her as a fighter of considerable experience.

The troll was even more attractive:  busty with a well-defined waist, the kind of curves he seldom saw in either high or blood elf women.  Her hair was a vivid orange, with one braid circling the crown of her head and the rest spilling down her back in a bushy ponytail.  A kilt in a tribal pattern stretched to her ankles, but from the waist up she wore only a tight vest of purple felt. 

Zhelios had no plans to approach either of them, but enjoyed the view nonetheless, and it was quiet enough in the tavern that his long ears were able to listen in on their conversation.  
  
"It was the best night I've had in ages," the orc raved.  
  
"I wouldn't know," the troll said with mild annoyance.  
  
"You mean to tell me you've never had oral?"  
  
"Have you seen the tusks troll guys have?  Ain't nobody goin' down on me with those in the way!"

Zhelios nearly choked on his drink.  
  
"So find a lover who's not a troll, or a guy," the orc teased.  
  
"I don't like girls that way, mon," the troll protested. "No offense."  
  
"You can offend me all you like.  At the end of the day I go back to my lovely gal and have four orgasms in a night. She's _that_ good with her tongue."

Zhelios tried not to stare, feeling the back of his neck grow uncomfortably hot.  Wow.  Elven women did not talk about such matters--at least, not in public.  
  
The troll sighed and took a long drink. "Don't get me wrong, mon. I enjoy havin' the basic in-and-out," she said, making a crude gesture with both hands, "but I've always wondered what it would be like to be kissed down there."

He shifted his weight on the bar stool and tried not to let his imagination get the better of him.  
  
"You won't be stealing my girlfriend to find out," the orc said in mock anger, shaking her fist.  
  
The troll gave an easy laugh, and the sound made a strange shiver shoot down Zhelios' spine.  "Don't worry, mon. If she has a good-lookin' brother, let me know, though..."  
  
It was surely the third mug of ale that made Zhelios get up and move toward them.  He would never be so bold otherwise.  He slid his drink down the bar and hopped onto the stool beside the troll.  "Hello there," he said with a charming smile. "I do apologize for intruding, but I couldn't help but overhear that you have a terrible problem."  
  
The troll raised her eyebrows, expecting an atrocious pickup line.  
  
"If I heard right, you have never experienced one of life's most pleasurable sensations."  
  
"Dat be none of your business, elf," the troll said coldly, turning away from him.  
  
"True.  But it could be, if you wanted it to."  
  
The orc leaned toward him with a vicious glare.  "Leave us alone or you'll be experiencing the sensation of my fist breaking your nose."  
  
Zhelios was undeterred.  "I mean no offense, I assure you. I just wanted to offer my services as Dalaran Cunnilingus Champion, three years running."  
  
The troll looked to him with a confused frown. "Is that a thing?"  
  
"Of course it's not," the orc said, swinging off her bar stool with a snort of disgust.  "C'mon, Bridjin, let's get some sleep. The sooner we finish this mission, the sooner we can get back to Orgrimmar and my lady's magic tongue."  
  
The troll hesitated just a moment before following the orc up the stairs.  Zhelios did not miss the way she glanced over her shoulder at him before disappearing out of sight.  
  
The orc bartender wandered over to refill his drink. "Does that ever work?" he asked.  
  
"Hasn't yet," the elf said with a shrug. "Worth a try, though." 

The bartender laughed and wandered away to attend to a tauren who had just taken a seat at the far end of the counter.

Zhelios was a regular here.  He never got in fights, he paid his tab faithfully at the end of every month, and he had only gotten sick on the floor once.  He even used a coaster.  By the Filthy Animal's standards, he was a model patron.  

He generally preferred to have only a couple drinks:  enough to relax after a long day of work tending to the city's many fountains, but not so much that he made a drunken fool of himself.  

The third mug of ale he had just finished, and the fourth he was now sipping, was more than he usually imbibed, but he'd had a rather unpleasant day.   He'd had to clean debris--including broken glass--out of a grate below one of the fountains in the central city square, and his boss had berated him for not doing it quickly enough.  A little extra buzz was a welcome distraction.

He decided he would regret it in the morning if he finished the fourth mug, and left it on the bar with a tip.  His apartment was within easy walking distance, but he lingered by the fireplace for another few minutes, just in case...  
  
"Psst!"  
  
That.  He grinned and turned toward the sound.  The lady troll was at the top of the stairs, barely peeking around the bannister.  She waved shyly and beckoned him closer.  
  
Zhelios climbed the stairs at an unhurried pace and paused halfway to look up at her. "Yes?"  
  
She glanced behind to make sure she hadn't been followed and looked at him with an embarrassed smile.  "You got a room?" she whispered.  
  
"I have an apartment, actually, not far from here."  
  
"You were serious about...all that?"  
  
He put his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet with a slightly sheepish expression.  "There is no such title to be awarded, so far as I know, but I have been told my skills in that particular activity are above average.  And yes, I would be honored to demonstrate."  He smirked as her cheeks flushed a rosy hue.  
  
"You're not gonna kill me and leave my body in the sewers somewhere?"  
  
He put a hand to his chest in offense.  "Hardly.  I don't think I could, to be honest.  You're the adventurer.  I imagine you've been out slaying vrykul and magnataur and all manner of fierce creatures.  I live here in Dalaran, maintaining the fish pond and the fountains.  You could probably snap me in half without breaking a sweat."  
  
She nodded, eyeing him carefully.  
  
"There are other things we can do together that will cause you to sweat, however," he said with a rakish grin. "If you want to."  
  
She looked over her shoulder again to make sure her traveling companion hadn't appeared to eavesdrop.  Finally, she came down the stairs and looped her arm around his. "Let's do this, mon."  
  
Zhelios caught the bartender's eye on the way out the door.  The orc winked and gave him a thumbs up.  
  
  
It was a chilly night, as it often was in Dalaran.  His "date" was not dressed for the weather.  The layers of her kilt were decorative, not insulating, and her small vest left her arms and belly button exposed.   Zhelios put an arm around her shoulders as they walked to contain her shivering.  
  
"My place isn't far, I promise," he said.  "And then I'll get you plenty warm."  
  
"I can't believe I'm doin' this," she muttered.  "I don't even know your name."  
  
"Ah, where are my manners?"  He stopped and bowed formally in front of her.   "Zhelios Goldriver, Kirin Tor academy dropout and assistant second manager of decorative water features for the city of Dalaran."  
  
She smiled at his gallantry and gave a curtsey.  "Bridjin, daughter of Damjin, shadowcaster of the Darkspear tribe."  
  
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Zhelios said before taking her arm again and leading her down a side street just past Krasus' Landing.  
  
A human woman in Argent Dawn colors passed them and greeted the elf with a friendly nod.   "Evening, Zhelios.  Little chilly for a stroll, isn't it?"  
  
"So we've discovered," he said nonchalantly.  "We're headed in to get thawed out right now, actually."  
  
"See you," the human said, continuing on her way without pausing or acting as if anything was unusual.  
  
"Do you do this often?" Bridjin asked quietly.  
  
"Take late-night walks with lovely trolls?"  
  
"Bring women home," she whispered.  
  
"Ah, well...not as often as I would like," he joked, scratching the back of his neck with an awkward cough. "And when I do, I don't make a habit of doing so with one I've just met, but...  It seemed like the polite thing to do."  
  
She gave a disbelieving laugh.  "Polite, mon?  Offering to go down on a total stranger? That's a new one."  
  
Now it was Zhelios' turn to look embarrassed.  "Well, I... You seemed like you needed cheering up.  I hate to see a lady looking blue."  
  
She lowered an eyebrow and glanced down at her skin.  
  
"Not literally, of course!" he blurted.  "You are a lovely shade of azure, my dear. Truly."  
  
Seeing the genuine distress on his face, she burst out laughing.  When he realized she wasn't offended, he joined her, first laughing in relief and then giving in to more genuine mirth.  
  
"The look on your face, mon!  Ahahaha!" she howled, wiping tears off her cheeks. "You shoulda seen it!"  
  
"If you were green, it wouldn't have mattered!"  He laughed until he could barely stand up straight, leaning on a lamppost. "And--oh heavens!"  
  
"What?"  
  
He pointed to the building behind them. "This is my apartment. We're standing out here freezing our asses off for no reason!"  
  
This made them laugh even harder, and he struggled to compose himself long enough to work the key in his door. He held up a finger for quiet as he led her down the hallway, past numbered doors. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles and tried to tip-toe behind him.  
  
At last they reached a door with an ornate "26" engraved on a plaque.  He used a different key to open it and bowed to indicate she should go in first.  
  
A globe on the ceiling cast diffuse golden light over the apartment, which was quite small. The living room and kitchen were all in one area.  Zhelios scurried about for a moment, randomly throwing things in drawers and piling up stray coats, papers and shoes on one chair. "I wasn't expecting company," he said sheepishly.  
  
But her eyes were drawn to the aquarium that stretched across the wall opposite the kitchenette. "Bringing your work home with you?"  She raised a finger to the glass to greet the red-orange fishes that swam over to investigate her.  
  
"Oh, yes, sort of.  Sometimes the ones in the fountain come out on the losing end of the whole 'catch and release' business.  This is where they come to retire, as it were."  
  
As Bridjin looked closer she saw that all the fish in the aquarium had missing or torn fins, one fewer eye than they should, or swam crooked.  "You big softie," she said, then mimicked the kissing motion of the fish in front of her, stopping just short of putting her lips against the glass.  
  
Zhelios could not look at her. He cleared his throat and went into an adjacent room that had been pitch dark, although his entrance caused the lights to blink on.  
  
Bridjin stayed watching the fish for a moment to give him the chance to clean up the worst of the mess from what she correctly assumed was his bedroom. When she heard a shower running, she peeked around the corner curiously.  
  
"Come in, come in," he said, waving her over from the bathroom door in the far corner.  
  
His bedroom was just barely large enough to fit a double bed, a bureau and a tall, freestanding mirror. Some of the drawers were not quite shut all the way, overflowing with the loose articles of clothing that he had no doubt just stuffed in there to clean up.  
  
"Please, get comfortable.  Feel free to take a nice, warm shower," he said, gesturing into the bathroom.  
  
Her lower lip curled from under her stubby, curved tusks in a pout.  "Are you sayin' I smell, mon?"  
  
"Of course not!" he said, looking scandalized.  "Nonetheless, you have been traveling, and fighting, and..."  
  
"And you'd like my lady-bits clean and sweet-smellin' before you do your thing," she finished.  
  
His eyes widened at her bluntness.  "Well, there is that," he admitted.  
  
"Say no more," she said with a chuckle, breezing past him into the bathroom.  
  
Bridjin quickly shed her clothes onto the floor and stepped into the steaming shower. She expected to be getting dirty again rather soon so she didn't wash her hair or spend too much time on the rest of her body, but she made sure to clean thoroughly between her legs.   Rubbing herself there made heat pool low in her belly, and she spent a bit longer than she had planned with that stage of her toilette.

She hadn't been laid in more months than she cared to count.  Her first love had died in battle with the Alliance less than a year after they pledged to spend their lives together, and since then she had had no interest in a real relationship.   When she felt too lonely or horny there was always a troll in a bar somewhere more than willing to spend the night with her.  
  
It was silly to stand there touching herself when there was a rather amiable and good-looking blood elf in the next room waiting to pleasure her, so she gave herself one final rinse and turned off the shower. She toweled off and slipped into a robe of tan silk that hung on a hook on the back of the door. It was obviously his, and did not fit her well at all, but it gave her a modicum of modesty. She opened the door and stepped out into the bedroom with an involuntary shiver. It was much cooler here than in the steam-fogged bathroom.  
  
Zhelios  had shed everything but his gray boxers.  He  was pacing at the foot of the bed but lit up in a grin when he saw her.  "Feeling refreshed?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, mon," she said, making a show of stretching.  Doing so made the too-small robe pull apart despite the sash around her waist, and his eyes were immediately riveted on the generous amount of cleavage and thigh that were suddenly visible.  
  
Bridjin took a deep breath for courage, then sprawled out on the bed.  "All right, mon, let's do this.  Introduce me to all the things I've been missin'."  
  
Zhelios dimmed the lights and crawled onto the bed in front of her.  He ran his long-fingered hands through her damp hair, brushing it off her shoulder before placing light kisses down her neck, along her collar bone, and down to where his robe was wrapped around her chest.  He tugged the garment open, lifting out one sizeable breast.   He made an appreciative noise and kissed all around her areola before flicking his tongue over her nipple.  
  
Bridjin sighed happily and slid the robe off, letting the tan silk puddle behind her.  She sat on her knees, unconsciously leaning back into the stack of pillows behind her as he ran his hands all around her breasts, still suckling her left nipple.  
  
"I know I be new to this whole oral sex business," she teased, "but aren't ya supposed to be a bit further south than that?"  
  
He drew back from her chest and smirked.  "All in due time, my dear.  Making love is not a race."  He stroked across the tips of her breasts with both thumbs.  "Besides, I am rather fond of boobs."  
  
She laughed.  "I like you, mon."  
  
"Well, I would hope so, under the circumstances," he said flippantly.  
  
She made a dismissive noise by blowing air out of her mouth.  
  
"Still, you do have a point.  On to the main attraction..."  He took her by the waist and eased her onto her back, making sure her head and shoulders were supported by pillows.  She lifted her knees and spread her legs wide.  
  
"Ah yes, there we are," he said grandly.  "The cave of mysteries.   The vault of wonders.  The passage to paradise.  The finest flower ever beheld by mortal eyes."  
  
"You sure you weren't named the Dalaran _Bullshit_ Champion three years runnin'?" she teased.  
  
"Alas, as far as I know that isn't a real thing, either."  Zhelios got down on his stomach, bringing his face to within inches of her sex.  "Now if I do something you don't like, just let me know.  This is supposed to be pleasurable.   I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."  
  
"I'll just kick ya in the head," she quipped, despite starting to look ever so slightly nervous.  
  
"Hopefully it won't come to that," he said with a wary frown.  "Now, then...hmm, yes, very similar anatomy to the elves and humans I've encountered before.   Good, I know what to do with this."  
  
"Then do it, mon!"  
  
"As you wish."  He began by running one index finger so lightly along the curves of her labia that she shivered pleasantly.  He added more digits, gently separating her folds.  "Ah, there you are," he murmured as her clitoris swelled.  He edged forward and angled his head, and his breath against her most sensitive areas made her tremble. 

Then his mouth was on her, an unfamiliar rush of heat and moisture that made her arch her back with a squeak of surprise.  His lips massaged and sucked at her petals while his tongue ran back and forth across her clit.  
  
"By the loa," she gasped as scorching heat spread from between her legs to envelop her entire body.  
  
She felt Zhelios' mouth twist into a smile before he resumed kissing her passionately right at her center.  His fingers tickled the inside of her thighs, and his tongue flicked rapidly across her nub.  
  
Sweat rolled down her forehead and she wiped it off with a shaking forearm.   "Felfire and damnation, mon, that feels...  That feels...  Don't stop!"  
  
He hummed low in his throat, and the vibration traveled straight from his tongue and into the depths of her body.  She raised her knees higher, feet arching in ecstacy.  
  
He pressed his lips together, squeezing her button, and she groaned.  "Oh...   Oh, yes!  Mmm!"  
  
He licked all across her folds a few times, working his tongue into every nook and cranny.  
  
Bridjin gripped fistfuls of sheets and squirmed.  "Uhh...  Do that again!"  
  
Zhelios complied gladly.  
  
"Oh ya, mon!" she panted.  "That's amazin'!"  
  
"Yum," he purred, lapping at the moisture that her body was producing.   "Never tasted troll pussy before," he said softly.  "I think I like it."  
  
"More!  More!  Don't stop!  Ooh!"  
  
He tilted his head in a slightly different way and buried his face between her thighs again.  He kissed her harder this time, thrusting his tongue into her dilated opening.  
  
"What are you--  Are you--  Oh dear ancestors!"  She ground her hips down, enjoying the feel of his nose pressing against her mound.  
  
His tongue darted in and out of her hole while his lips tugged at her clit.  
  
"Oh!  Shit, mon, I'm gonna come!  I can't---"  She gripped his shoulders, pressing him down even harder against her sex as she began to spasm.  She bucked her hips and threw her head back with an involuntary cry of pleasure.  
  
He kept sucking and nibbling as her climax gushed in his face, only drawing back when she slumped dizzily against the pillows and stopped rocking her hips.  
  
He coughed a little as he caught his breath, wiping his chin and goatee on the back of his hand.  "Well?"  
  
Bridjin's eyes were rolled back and her mouth hung open, her chest heaving for air.  Rivulets of sweat coursed down her flushed skin.   "That...was...unbelievable!" she panted.  "I never...imagined...  By the loa, I didn't know I _could_ come like that.   I think my heart stopped for a minute there, mon!"  
  
Zhelios grinned smugly and sat up on the edge of the bed.  "I do have that effect on women sometimes," he said, buffing his fingernails against his bare chest.   After another minute of recovery, he turned toward her.  The front of his boxers was straining to contain his erection.  
  
"What we gonna do about that, mon?" she asked slyly, pointing.  
  
"Well, normally I would request you return the favor, but--no offense--I'd rather not have those tusks anywhere near my manhood.  You look like you have strong hands, though..."  He held up a small jar of lubricating oil.  
  
She nodded and beckoned him closer.  He turned to put his feet by the headboard and his head toward the foot of the bed, leaving his midsection positioned near her.  She sat up shakily, still dizzy from the intensity of her orgasm, and knelt beside his hip.   "All right, then, let's see what ya got," she said, carefully pulling his boxers down.  His rod popped out to greet her.  
  
"Well, hello there," she purred, tickling the underside of its head.  
  
He jumped slightly, and she laughed.  
  
"I'm sure it's not nearly as impressive as the troll dicks you're used to," he said with just a hint of real anxiety.  
  
"It's not the size of the prize, it's the skill of the drill."  She opened the jar of oil and poured some into her hands, then began to rub up and down his shaft.  
  
Zhelios sighed appreciatively and closed his eyes.  Her hands traveled all over his abdomen, down the length of his organ, around his balls, and along the inside of his thighs.  She kept him guessing where her touch would land next, skipping around with light caresses that sent shivery bolts of sensation through his body.  He tilted his hips toward her with a quiet whine, and she took the hint to concentrate on his penis.  
  
She added another squirt of lube before she began to jerk him off, making smooth tugging motions around the base with one hand and rubbing around the head with the other.  
  
"Mmm, yes," he moaned. "Faster!"  
  
She sped up, sliding her hands up and down his slick penis.  He thrust into her grasp, grunting softly.  
  
Suddenly his cock was surrounded by something soft, solid and squishy. His eyes snapped open and he saw she had his manhood trapped between her breasts. He gave an approving groan and pumped against her with increasing desperation.  
  
She swayed along with him, pressing her chest snugly around his dick and stroking the head with one hand.  
  
"Oh yes, oh yes, oh my," he breathed.  "By the Sunwell, that feels good."  
  
"You said you liked boobs."  
  
"I do," he said with an emphatic nod.  "I like them very much.   Especially like this."  
  
"Good."

They swayed together for bit longer, until he gasped, "Uh...  Uh...  I'm going to...to...  Here it comes!"  
  
She cupped her hand over the tip of his penis as his climax spurted out, keeping it from spraying all over. Still, cum ran back down his shaft and onto her breasts.  
  
Zhelios continued rocking his hips until his release was over, then rolled onto his back again with a gusty sigh. "Oh, wow. I wasn't expecting...that.  But oh, it was...  Yeah.  Good.  Very good."  
  
She crawled over him to stand up, knees still trembling.  "A debt repaid, then.   Dibs on the shower."  
  
He blinked at her, barely even comprehending what she was saying.  
  
Bridjin went into the bathroom and started the shower up again, humming a tune to herself as she washed off the sweat and their combined fluids. The towels she had used before were damp now, but still sufficient to get her mostly dry before she put her clothes back on. It took her a minute to figure out how to use the magic-powered hair dryer mounted on the wall, but when she found the right switch it blasted her bright orange hair dry in seconds.  
  
She sauntered back into the bedroom to find Zhelios spread out on the bed with his boxers still around his knees, his flaccid member lying limply against his thigh, his mouth hanging open in a snore.  
  
Bridjin simply stood and watched him sleep for a moment, reflecting on the night's unexpected events. She had never been attracted to anyone but fellow trolls before. This was supposed to have been an impulsive fling, a rebellion against the boredom of her usual life, a treat for her body after a drought of good lovers.  And that was all it would be, of course.  But as she smiled down at the sleeping elf, she found her heart swell with genuine affection.  
  
Zhelios was a contrary mix of the awkward and the debonair, a perfect gentleman one moment and a kinky fiend the next.  Best of all, he made her laugh.  
  
It might be easier to simply leave him a thank-you note and slip away while he was asleep.   Good-byes could be messy.  Yet she bent down to brush a strand of sweaty hair off his forehead, and he jolted awake at her touch.  
  
"The shower's all yours," she said.  
  
"Oh!"  He sat up, blinking rapidly.  "Right.  Thank you."   He stepped out of his boxers on his way to the bathroom, and she couldn't help noticing what a nice, perky ass he had.  "Make yourself at home. There should be some wine in the refrigerator, if you wish to partake."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
  
When Zhelios emerged from the bedroom ten minutes later his dark red hair was perfectly styled, and he wore plain black pants and a gray tunic.  Bridjin sat on the sofa, watching the fish in the aquarium.  She turned and smiled at him, holding up a faux-crystal wine glass.  
  
He took it from her and clinked it against her half-empty one.  "To chance meetings," he toasted.  
  
"To finally findin' out what the big deal is about oral sex," she added.  
  
"That too," he said amiably before drinking.  
  
He sat beside her on the couch with a contented sigh, following her line of sight to the aquarium.  "If you're going to be around the city tomorrow you really should stop by the fishing fountain.  It's close to the Alliance side of town but the square itself is neutral.  It's traditional to drop a coin into the fountain and make a wish."  
  
"And such wishes are supposed to come true?" she asked skeptically.  
  
"Some say they do," he said with a shrug, taking another drink of wine.  
  
"Have you ever tried it?"  
  
"I'm usually too busy dredging up bent fishhooks, bait cans and other trash to think much about the coins, which we leave in the bottom."  He refilled his glass from the bottle on the table.  "But I think I might just give it a try the next time I'm there."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
His eyes left the fish and traveled back to gaze at her.  "I'll wish to see you again."  
  
She felt her cheeks darken and hid her discomfort by taking a long drink of wine.   "I... I would like that," she said quietly, turning her glass in her hand.  "I don't pass through Dalaran very often, but...  Yeah.  I'll be sure to stop by."  
  
His face lit up with a grin.  They simply smiled at each other for a minute, and Bridjin sensed that with one gesture they would both be tearing off their clothes again. Part of her ached to do just that, but the more practical side of her warned her to let matters be.  
  
"I should get back to the inn," she said abruptly, standing up. "It must be really late."  
  
He sprang to his feet also. "Of course.  Here, let me get you a coat to wear on the way back.  I doubt it's gotten any warmer out there in the last...however long we were occupied."  
  
She gratefully accepted the thick blue coat that he took out of the closet and slid over her shoulders.  "Thank you," she said with a nod.  
  
"You're most welcome, my lady," he said, opening the door to the hallway with a flourish.  
  
They did not speak on the walk back to The Filthy Animal.  Their breath rose in visible puffs, and Bridjin found herself even more grateful for the coat.  It wouldn't be long before the pink stain of dawn would appear on the eastern horizon, but for now the city was still and dark.  
  
In what seemed like no time at all, they stood at the front door of the Horde inn.   She let his coat drop off her shoulders and into his hands, and he draped it over one arm.  "Thank you," she said quietly.  "For the coat, the wine...and everything else.  It was the best time I've had in...well, years."  
  
"The pleasure was all mine," he said with a gentle smile, then got an impish twinkle in his eye. "Well, not all of it.  I seem to remember a large amount of pleasure on your part, as well."  
  
She giggled and blushed.  
  
"Nonetheless, it was the best time I've had in years, also.  Thank you."  He took her hand and kissed it formally.  
  
It was then that she realized they had never kissed on the mouth.  His lips had explored her body as no one else's ever had, finding places she didn't even know existed, yet they had overlooked the most basic gesture of all.  
  
Would a true kiss make it harder to leave him behind when she left Dalaran?  Perhaps, but at that moment she could not restrain herself from seeking a taste of him.   She seized him with her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his.  
  
He made a slight noise of surprise and glanced nervously at her tusks, but returned the kiss with clear enthusiasm.  The echoes of the things he had made her feel earlier burned between her legs, and she forced herself to pull away.  "Good night, Zhelios," she said before ducking inside the inn.  
  
"Good night, Bridjin," he said softly, although she was already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains mentions of the deaths of parents and lovers. Your general angsty character background stuff in between the smut.

Back in Orgrimmar a month later, Bridjin surveyed the tavern with a critical eye.  She had come here specifically to find a partner for a single night of fun, but turned down the advances of everyone who approached her.  There were trolls who she would have taken home without a second thought, once.  But the thought of the same old encounter left her feeling more bored than titillated.

She passed by tauren without a second glance.  She refused to take a lover who was fuzzier than she was.  Orcs were too big, goblins too small, forsaken too...well, _dead._   She shuddered and took a deep swig of her beer.

There were blood elves in attendance, too, and she considered a few of them but something seemed wrong about each one.  That one was shorter than Zhelios.  That one was fairer-skinned than he was.  That one was scowling, a far cry from the jovial smile Zhelios usually wore.

Damn it, that smug elf had ruined her.  She never used to be this picky.

And what did she mean, the smile he _usually_ wore?   They had spent a few hours together.  It wasn't like she _knew_ him.

She slammed her mug down on the bar and stalked out.

 

* * *

  
  
Zhelios sat on the edge of his bed with his pants around his ankles, head back and eyes closed as he thrust into his left hand.  He had been pleasuring himself for some time, bringing himself to the brink of release and back a few times, but now he was ready to finish.  It was late and he had work in the morning.  He rocked faster, tugging at his throbbing shaft.

"Oh yeah," he panted.  "Mmm, yeah, uhh..."

He arched his back and came into a handful of tissues with a gutteral cry.

As the stars cleared from his vision and he blinked sweat out of his eyes, he realized he had been imagining that orange-haired troll.

"Again?" he muttered, shaking his head.  This was getting absurd.  He hadn't brought a woman home since that night, and more often than not he found himself thinking of her while jerking off.

"Let it go," he told himself as he staggered into the bathroom to clean up.  "I mean, yeah, it was a great night, but that's all it was.  You'll probably never see her again.  And she's a _troll_.   Get a grip, man."

He washed up and went to bed, vowing to buy a new magazine of good, old-fashioned elf pornography tomorrow.

 

* * *

  
Bridjin lay on her side in the darkness of her room, one leg raised as she slowly eased a new, blood-elf model dildo into her body.  Her natural lubrication added to the oil she had used on it, and she moved it faster, in and out, panting happily.

"Yeah, mon," she breathed, pressing deeper.   "That's it... Ooh!"

She often imagined her first love there with her at moments like this, or just a faceless composite of masculinity, but this time when she spasmed to climax it was a pale, green-eyed elf she dreamed was inside her.

 

* * *

  
Zhelios stomped into his apartment and threw his keys onto the kitchen table along with two glossy magazines.  The top one had a cover photo of a nude, blonde elf with enormous breasts, sucking her index finger and staring into the camera from under dramatically-fake eyelashes.

The bottom one had an equally-naked troll woman on the cover, her round ass facing the camera, looking coyly over her shoulder.  The underside of one breast was barely visible on her left side.

He went over to the aquarium and frowned at the fish.   "Yes, I bought troll porn.  But I got the normal, elf kind, too, so that makes it okay, right?" he said defensively.

The fish did not comment.

"Don't judge me!" he snapped, then began to laugh.   "Oh, by the Sunwell, I've got it bad.  This is silly."

He sighed and headed toward his bedroom, then spun on his heel, retrieved the troll magazine from the table, and hurried into the bathroom with it.

 

* * *

 

"This is ridiculous," Bridjin grumbled after once again failing to get herself off with anything other than thoughts of a specific blood elf. 

 

* * *

 

"This is ridiculous." Zhelios grumbled after once again making himself come to photos of fiery-haired troll women.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been five months since their rendezvous.  Zhelios sat at the bar in The Filthy Animal as usual, nursing his second mug of ale of the evening.  Another day, another clogged fountain to fix, another drink, another lonely night.

A blue hand came to rest on his arm, and he jumped so badly he nearly spilled his drink.

"Long time no see," came an accented voice he had never dared to hope he would hear again.

"Bridjin!" he gasped, whirling around on his barstool to face her.  "By the Sunwell, is that really you?"

She was wearing the exact same outfit she had on the night they met, perhaps thinking it would help him recognize her, but the sparkle in her ruddy-brown eyes and the brightness of her hair had entered his thoughts far too many times for him to mistake her for anyone else.

"Yeah, mon, it's me," she said with a huge grin.   "I told ya I'd drop by when I was in town again."

"Am I ever glad to see you!" he said, shaking his head in stunned disbelief.  "I--"  He was about to say something like, "I've thought about you constantly," or "I've been imagining you while I 'strangle the strider,'" or "I want you so badly I could jump you right here at the bar," but all that came out was, "I missed you."

The smile did not completely leave her face, but she frowned in suspicion.  "Did you cast some kind of spell on me, before?"

"What?  No.  Why?  What kind of spell?"

"I don't trust you elves and your magic addictions," she said irritably.  "But you must have done _something_ , because ever since that night I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

His heart beat faster.  Could she really feel the same way he did?  "I know what you mean," he said as quietly as he could while still being heard over the noise of the tavern.  "There's something about you..."   He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, running it down her arm and then drawing her hand to his lips.

She shivered at his touch.  "Damn, mon, why you gotta do that?"

"Do what?" he asked slyly, still holding her hand an inch from his mouth.

"Get me all hot an' bothered."

"Did I?"

"Mmm hmm.  I know what you can do with that mouth of yours..."

He smirked and kissed her hand again, his lips lingering against her skin just long enough to make her tremble.  "Do you want a drink, or should we--"

Before he could finish that thought she grabbed him by the wrist and marched toward the exit, and he laughed giddily as she dragged him along.

It was summer now and her attire was much better suited for the weather.  It was also still daylight, meaning the streets were filled with adventurers, mages, students, merchants, travelers and citizens.  No one gave the troll and blood elf a second glance as they walked toward his apartment.

"You remember the way to my place?" he said with surprise.

"Oh, I remember a _lot_ of things," she said, licking her lips.

Zhelios quickly changed the subject before his pants got any tighter.  "So, how have you been?  Everything going well?   Haven't lost any limbs in battle or anything?  I know you trolls can regrow them, so..."

She rolled her eyes.  "No, I haven't lost any body parts.  Everything's same-old, same-old."  She gave him a sidelong glance and an enigmatic smile.  "Which isn't always a good thing.  Sometimes a girl needs somethin' different, ya know?"

He swallowed.  "Yes.  I...think I do."

"And you?  Still cleanin' fountains and feedin' fish for a livin'?"

He shrugged.  "It pays the bills."  He took out his key and opened the door to his apartment building, leading her down the hallway to his door.  As he unlocked it, it occurred to him that not only was his living space as messy as ever, he hadn't made his bed that morning, and magazines of naked trolls who looked suspiciously like her were strewn on the floor.

"Say hello to the fish.  I'll be right back," he said quickly, disappearing into the bedroom.

She hesitated a moment before ignoring his hint and following him.  "I don't care what it looks like, mon.  I guarantee I've seen worse."

He gave a guilty start and dropped one of the glossy magazines he was hurrying to shove under the bed.  It fluttered open at her feet, and she looked down at a two-page spread of a nude troll lying on a beach, legs spread wide.   One of her hands was lifting up one of her oversized breasts, and the other curled into her crotch.

Zhelios stood frozen in horror as several long seconds ticked by.  Bridjin frowned down at the photo, studying it.  "That's awful," she said, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

His face fell, fully expecting her to lecture him for owning such a sordid publication.

"She's gonna get sand in her lady-bits, and that's gonna hurt like hell, mon!  What a stupid idea."  She stooped to pick up the magazine and flipped to the next page.

This model was lying on a fur rug, arching her back to make her chest stick out even more, twisting her torso so the viewer could see both her breasts and the profile of her perfect ass.

"That looks more comfortable, at least.  Assuming she's not allergic to the fur."

Zhelios gawked at her.  "Y-you're not offended?"

She made a dismissive noise.  "Why?  You're a guy.  You whack off to pictures of pretty girls.  That's as normal as it gets, mon."

"But they're trolls," he said quietly.

"So?"

He studied the floor, squirming in embarrassment.   "So I never thought about trolls _that_ way until after I met you.   I only romanced other elves and the occasional human, but...  Since I spent that night with you, I...  It's like I've suddenly developed a troll fetish."

She roared with laughter, startling him into finally looking up at her.

"You are adorable, mon," she said, stepping forward to put her hand over his blushing cheek.  "You act like that's a bad thing."

"Well, no, b-but--"  He gesticulated randomly, trying to explain.  "I mean, what we had that night was _good_ , don't get me wrong, but it wasn't that different from other trysts I've had.  If anything, it was tamer, since there wasn't even intercourse.  Yet I...I can't get you out of my head, Bridjin.  I've kept thinking about you, wondering what you're doing, if I'd see you again, what kind of lover you had now, if you ever thought of me--"

"I did," she interjected, and he stopped rambling to meet her eyes.  "I thought about you just about every time I touched myself.   I thought of you when I was lonely.  I thought of you when I heard somethin' funny.  I thought of you when I drank wine.  I thought of you when I saw fountains."

His astonished expression slowly turned into a joyful smile.   "Really?"

She shoved him playfully.  "You ruined me, you stupid elf!  I can't get myself to go home with another troll, or anyone else.  I would look at them and think, 'Nah, mon, he ain't bad-looking, but he ain't Zhel.'"

He looked flattered.

Bridjin let her annoyance die away as she sank down to sit on the bed.  "I don't know, mon.  I don't know why you stuck with me the way you did."

He sat down beside her and ran a hand through her orange ponytail, drawing her closer to plant a kiss on her cheek.  "I don't know why, either, Bridj, but I've felt the same way.  You're...special, somehow."

She smiled and fidgeted with a loose thread on her kilt.   "I thought maybe you'd forgotten about me.  A funny, handsome elf like you, I bet you have lots of women."

He snorted.  "I maintain fountains for a living.   I flunked out of the mage academy.  I'm not exactly a great catch.  And my pick-up lines...I _still_ can't believe you actually went along with that nonsense about me being the Cunnilingus Champion of the city."

She laughed heartily and shook her head.  "It was original, and I was horny.  And after what you did to me, I'd vouch for ya in front of any judging panel the Kirin Tor can put togetha'."

He chuckled and shrugged.  "Whatever works, right?"

"Oh, it worked," she said, leaning closer to him.   Her voice dropped to a husky whisper.  "It worked real good."

He put his arms around her and kissed her, wary at first of her tusks but soon realizing how to fit his lips safely between them.  She made a happy noise as his tongue slid into her mouth, her hands tangling through his dark, reddish-brown hair.   She gathered her kilt above her knees to give herself more range of motion and wrapped her legs around his waist.

His hands blindly scrambled to unfasten the wooden buttons along the front of her vest, and she yanked at the arm of his tunic so enthusiastically that he tipped over onto his side.  Before he could resume kissing her, she undid the rest of the buttons and tossed her vest to the floor, leaving her full breasts unbound.   She ran her hands up underneath them, relishing the freedom.  "Ah, much better, mon."

He flung his tunic away, now bare-chested, and pounced on her in a flurry of kisses that began at her neck and trailed down into her cleavage.

"Oh, I remember these," he moaned, voice muffled between her breasts.  "I like these."

She giggled and awkwardly managed to slide out of her kilt while he played with her chest.

"I remember something I liked, too," she said, reaching down to brush one hand over the bulge in the front of his pants.   "Although we were barely acquainted, last time..."

He moaned in anticipation as she undid his belt and pulled his pants down to just below his buttocks.  She could go no further with him kneeling, but it didn't matter.

"Ah, yes," she purred, crouching down to get a closer look.  "I bought myself one of these a few months ago."

"You...what?"

"My old dildo was a troll model.  Wasn't doing it for me anymore, so I bought a blood elf one instead."

He gave a breathless laugh.  "Are you serious?"

"Yep.  It still wasn't the same, though."   She reached down and slowly stroked him from the base to the head, tracing the veins with a light brush of her finger.  He shuddered.  "Yours is so hot, and real, and...bendy."

His cock was hard to begin with, and with her soft blue hands caressing him it only grew stiffer.  "Oh, Bridj," he groaned.   "Ooh yeah..."

The troll pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him, aligning her sex just above where his rod stood up.  She straddled him with all four limbs and began to slide forward and backward, running her folds over his penis, following the curve of his erection.

"Oh yeah," he panted.  "Oh please, Bridjin, let me in...  I need you so bad!"

She rubbed his hardness across her clit several more times, enjoying every moment of his desperation.  At last she lowered her hips, impaling herself.

She threw her head back and cried out as he filled her, then began to rock in a steady rhythm.  "Mmm, we should have done this last time," she said breathlessly.

He gripped her hips to hold her in place as he jerked upward, fingers digging into her pelvis.  "I didn't...want...to rush...things," he said in between thrusts.

"Right, mon.  Better to wait until the second date to penetrate, I always say," she said with a wink.

"Spare me the rhymes," he said with a half-laugh, half-groan.

"Give me a lick, and I'll take your thick dick," she recited.

"You're already taking it."

"Oh believe me, I know," she said, bearing down harder with a pained expression.

"Not as big as you're used to, I'm sure.  Thank you for not laughing at it."

"Do you hear me complainin'?"

He listened to her ragged breathing and the squish of his organ sliding in and out of her sheath.  "Why no, I don't."

"Well, then."  She pushed against his chest, palms down, and gyrated her hips.

He cried out in pleasure.  "Oh!  Mmm!"   He bucked his hips, pressing deeper into her slick depths.  "Yes!"

"Ooh, that's what I've been wantin', mon," she groaned.  "That's it!  Give it to me!"

He lifted his knees for leverage and thrust faster, grunting with effort.  She rode him eagerly, twisting her hips and grinding down against him.   Her breasts bounced and jiggled, and he gazed up, admiring the view.

Bridjin hunched lower, grabbing onto his clenching buttocks.   "Oh fuck yeah, right there, mon!  Harder!  That's it!"

Zhelios felt his release building but gambled that she would come before he did, and shoved himself into her body with increased vigor.

"Yes!  Oh, _yes_!  Aah!" she screamed, making him hope the neighbors weren't home to hear.  She curled forward, eyes screwed shut, and clung to him so tightly he suspected she might bruise his flanks with her fingers.  Her body shook all over, squeezing his rod with uncontrolled spasms.

He could not hold back any longer.  He arched his back and slammed against her, spewing deep inside in a hot rush that made her gasp even more.

They writhed together in a daze of heat and pleasure, convulsing around each other with undignified grunts, whines and moans.

When time started moving again, they had somehow ended up both lying on their sides, face-to-face.  Bridjin had one leg up over his hip, and his spent cock was still pressed between her legs.  Her breasts bumped against his chest each time she heaved for breath.

"Oooooh yeah," she groaned.  "I've been wantin' that for a long time."

"Me too."  He sat up and readjusted his position just enough so that when he laid back down his arm draped over her back and her head rested on his shoulder.

"Better than the girls in the magazines?"

He tilted his head down to kiss the top of her head through her sweat-soaked hair.  "No comparison.  And...better than a blood elf-sized dildo?"

She laughed and reached down to pat his genitals.   "Much better."

They cuddled together in companionable silence for awhile, and when their body heat began to decline he pulled a sheet over them.

"Mmm, we should'a done _this_ last time, too," she said sleepily, snuggling closer.

He kissed her temple and brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek.  "So what brings you to Dalaran this time?  There haven't been as many adventurers passing through since the Lich King fell."

She lifted her head and pulled back to regard him with a devious smirk.  "You."

"Me?"

"Just you, Zhel.  I could make up some fancy-soundin' excuse about official Horde business, or somethin', but I don't want to lie to ya.  I just came here to see you."  She leaned in to kiss him, careful not to poke him in the face with her tusks.

He wasn't sure what to say, but could not stop a smile from spreading across his lips.

"I don't know what this is that we've got," she continued, "but it feels _good_ , mon."

"Yes," he said, gently squeezing one of her breasts.   "Yes, it does."

"And I was just going to drop in for another tumble, but since you feel...y'know, like this, too, maybe...I could stick around for a few days more?"

"Hell yes!" he exclaimed.

She giggled at his enthusiasm.  "And not just for the sex, although...whoa!"  She fanned herself with her hand for a moment, and he grinned wolfishly.  "I want to get to know you, too."

There was a hint of insecurity in her tone, and he kissed her doubts away.  "I would like nothing more," he whispered into her ear, then nibbled it.

She squealed and slapped him away.  "That tickles, mon!"

"A ticklish troll?  I've never heard of such a thing."

"You need to get to know _me_ better too, then," she teased.  "I'm full of little surprises."

He ran a hand down her back, gave her ass a light pinch, and brought his hand back up to rub her shoulder.  "I can't wait."

"So tell me about yourself," she said, propping her head up on an elbow to give him her full attention.  "For starters, why did you drop out of mage school?"

He put his hands behind his head and sank back into the pile of pillows, staring at the ceiling.  "Well, to make a long story short...Scourge happened."

"Ah.  That would do it."

"My father was a mage of moderate skill, and he and I both hoped I would follow in his footsteps.  My parents' marriage ended when I was still quite small.  She went back to Silvermoon.  I saw her twice a year, if that.   My father raised me here in Dalaran."  He stretched and settled into a slightly different position.  "His influence meant I was accepted into the Kirin Tor academy regardless of my actual aptitude.  I was muddling along, barely passing my exams, when Arthas and his merry band of ghouls and demons dropped by to visit.   You know how _that_ went."

Bridjin nodded solemnly.

"I escaped before the city was completely cut off, but my father stayed behind to defend the Violet Citadel."  He paused, not needing to say what happened next.  "I headed toward Silvermoon, assuming I would be safe there with my mother.  All along the way I saw nothing but death, _un_ death, and desolation.  Villages lay abandoned, corpses that were too damaged to reanimate lay rotting by the roadsides..."  He grimaced.  "It was slow going.   By the time our small group of Dalaran refugees arrived in Quel'thalas, it was too late.  Silvermoon had fallen.  I never did find out exactly what happened to my mother.  I suspect I'm better off not knowing."  He lowered his gaze from the ceiling to look at her.  "Aren't you glad you asked?" he said bitterly.   "Quite the mood-killer."

Her eyebrows arched in sympathy, and she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.  "Your people have suffered so much."

"They don't call us 'blood elves' for nothing," he quipped.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He swallowed, breaking eye contact.  He silently mouthed "thank you" before clearing his throat and continuing.  "The scattered survivors of Dalaran eventually regrouped, and when the Scourge had been driven away we set to work rebuilding the city.  I won't bore you with the details.   It was several years before the academy reopened, and although I re-enrolled..."  He sighed.  "The fountain pipes weren't the only things that were rusty."

She winced.

"After one term they politely suggested that I put my talents, such as they were, to work elsewhere.  Fortunately I have more practical skills, so here I am with the prestigious title of 'assistant second manager of decorative water features.'"

"Sounds impressive."

"It really means there are three people who rank above me in the business of feeding the fish, cleaning out the gunk, and fixing leaks."

"Any below you?"

"Eight or so, depending on who's quit lately."

"It's honest work," she said, smiling in approval.

"That it is," he conceded.  "And it pays for this cozy apartment where I can bring gorgeous women like yourself."

She grinned and let him kiss her for a little while before nudging him away again.  "My story's not nearly as exciting."

"With less death and destruction, I hope."

"Not whole kingdoms, but centaurs killed my mother shortly after we settled in Durotar."

"Oh.  That's...unfortunate."

"That's one way to put it."

"Well, I mean...it is.  My condolences."   He gathered her into his arms and held her tightly to his chest.  

Her expression softened.  "Thanks."  She stayed cozily tucked under his arm with her ear resting against his pectoral.   "I never knew my father.  Hell, my _mother_ never knew my father," she said with a snort.  "After her death my aunt, her sister, watched out for me, although I was nearly an adult then.  I left Sen'jin a few years later in search of adventure."

"And did you find it?" he asked, lazily stroking her back.

"More than I bargained for.  I've been all over the place, seen some crazy things, been in all kinds of danger...  Only by the blessings of the loa have I survived as long as I have."  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and he twitched as the air ghosted across his bare chest.  "I'm tired, Zhel," she said quietly.  "I'm tired of not feelin' safe.   Tired of not knowin' where I'll be in a week or a month.  Tired of not havin' a place where I really belong, y'know?"

He ran a hand through her hair as he rolled on top of her, sucking on her lips as if he wanted to draw the sad uncertainty right out of her.   "You're safe here," he murmured.  "You belong...right here."  He took her hand and placed it over his heart, and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"That is either the sweetest or the cheesiest thing anyone's ever said to me," she said with a half-hearted laugh.

"Whichever makes you happy," he said with a smirk.

" _You_ make me happy."

He lowered himself over her, kneading the tension from her shoulders as he crushed his mouth to hers in a hungry kiss.  She made an encouraging noise and wrapped her arms around his back, squashing her breasts into his chest.  He undulated on top of her, bumping his penis against her pubic bone.

She seemed receptive to the idea of a second romp, so he sent a hand exploring between her legs.  

Bridjin hummed in appreciation as his fingers teased her clit, spreading her thighs to give him better access.  His hand moved faster, building tension anew until she was dripping with need for him, whimpering for more.

He silently encouraged her to fondle him, turning to press his semi-erect shaft against her nearest hand.  She grasped him firmly, pumping at just the right speed to make him rock-hard in no time.

When they were both quaking with lust, he positioned himself with his knees on either side of her legs, angling his engorged rod for entry.

"Zhelios?"

"Yeah, Bridj?"

"I need you," she whispered.  It was clear she meant more than in her current state of arousal.

"I need you, too," he replied, framing her face with one hand as he was drawn deep into her eyes.  Gaze still locked to hers, he gave a swift thrust and buried his penis inside her.  He watched closely as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open with a gasp of pleasure.

He retreated slightly and then plunged in further, repeating the motion until her slick depths had swallowed him completely and his swollen sacs were flush against her trembling body.

She showed no sign of discomfort.  In fact, a look of serene contentment washed over her, and she put her hands on the back of his head and neck to pull him down into a passionate kiss.

He began to rock his hips, and she moaned but did not stop kissing him.  With her tongue darting into his mouth and his cock pumping into her core, there was a kind of primal symmetry to their actions.

They understood each other a bit better now, and knowing even just a little about their histories made it seem more like they were making love to a specific person, not just having sex for fun.

Bridjin put her legs around his waist, crossing her ankles just above his buttocks.  He pounded into her even harder, bracing himself with his elbows on either side of her torso.

Sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped onto her chest.   She was so hot he thought her skin might burn his, or was that his burning hers?   The flames consumed them both as they ceased to be two separate beings for a few glorious moments, melting into each other with desperate whines.

She dug her fingers into his back, scrambling for purchase on his sweat-slicked skin.  He thrust roughly, and the headboard of the bed began to tap against the wall.  She actually slid backward an inch or so with the force of his pushing. but he quickly closed the distance, stuffing his cock as deeply into her as he possibly could.  This movement out and back in sent her over the edge.

She shrieked in an incoherent burst of ecstacy as her abdomen spasmed and the walls of her vagina gripped him tighter.  Moisture surged around his member, and she locked her legs around his waist.

Zhelios was in the zone, lost in a hazy time loop where there was only his body and hers, joined perfectly in a swaying dance.  He was dimly aware that she had climaxed, but kept up the same rhythm as he rocked on top of her.   "Mmm...  Oh...  Mmm...  Oh..."

As her orgasm faded, she slid her legs down from his back and made a slight noise of discomfort.  "You okay, mon?" she asked breathlessly.

"Oh yes," he gasped, not missing a beat in his vigorous thrusting.

"I can't believe you can still keep it up after all this," she said, rotating her hips slightly.

"I..." he started, then let his voice trail off into a groan.

She pressed her face against his neck and ran her tongue lightly across his skin, tasting the salt of his sweat.  "What can I do to help ya finish?" she murmured.

"To what?" he asked dreamily.

"Finish.  Y'know, blow your load.  The Big O.   Detonate.  Peak.  Climax.  Come."

Her voice finally snapped him back to reality, and with his concentration broken he swiftly lost control.  He bucked his hips with a strangled moan and ejaculated inside her.

"Ohhhh," he sighed, emptying himself completely before slowly pulling out.  There was a messy squelch as the seal beween them was broken and their mixed fluids poured out onto the bed.  "Oh, Bridjin," he breathed, collapsing with his nose in her cleavage and his body still on top of hers.

"Nice," she said, kissing across his forehead from one long, elven eyebrow to the other.  "Usually I'm lucky if I finish before a guy.  You knocked me out and kept right on goin'."

"A happy accident when it happens.  Don't count on it," he said with a wheezing chuckle.

They lay together in satisfied stillness for a few minutes before she slid out from under him and stood.  "I gotta pee," she said, hurrying to the bathroom with her knees together.  He did not intrude as she attended to her hygeine.

She returned some time later, her nude body shining with water now instead of sweat and other things.  "Much better," she said with a smile, bending to kiss him.  "All yours, now."

He groggily got up and stumbled to the bathroom.  When he came back, she had rearranged the blankets on the unmade bed to cover the worst of the wet spots they had made, and was curled up with her head on a pillow and a sheet pulled up to her armpits, dozing in exhaustion.

He admired her for a moment, still not quite believing she was really here in his bed again.

Zhelios had never been in love before.  He had always assumed such things took longer than two "dates" to happen, but he felt himself drawn to her like never before.  He wanted her to be happy, above all else, and he wanted to be the one to make her so.  Her laugh gave him a thrill down his spine, her touch made his nerve endings prickle with electricity, and her mere presence made everything else in the room irrelevant.  His body was completely spent, but even now the sight of her full curves through the bedsheet made him flush with desire.

The only thing that kept this moment from being absolutely perfect was the fear that she would be gone from his life in a few days.  He never wanted this bliss to end.

"You gonna stand there and gawk, or are ya comin' to join me?" she asked without opening her eyes, and he jumped.

"You are by far the most beautiful thing that has ever been in that bed," he said with a self-deprecating laugh.  "For a moment there I wasn't sure if it was even mine."

She pulled back a corner of the blanket to make room for him.   "We're yours.  The bed...and me."

He sighed happily and crawled under the covers.  She snuggled into his arms with a contented hum, hooking one leg around his before relaxing.   She was sleeping quickly.

Zhelios lay awake for a little longer, listening to her heartbeat and wondering what he had done to deserve such happiness.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's more plot than porn in this chapter. Sorry.
> 
> Be advised, there's some anti-troll racism in this part. Also mentions of cannibalism and vomit.

 

"Shit, I'm oversleeping!"

Bridjin opened one eye as Zhelios flew out of bed and frantically dug through his closet in search of clean clothes.

"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and looking around for a clock.

"I have to be at work in less than fifteen minutes!" he said in a voice shrill with panic.  "Shit shit shit shit!"  He dashed into the bathroom, took a shower so brief he must have only rinsed himself off, and stumbled out again with his shirt unbuttoned and only one sock on.

"Can I do anythin' to help, mon?" she asked.

He whirled around to look at her, nearly tripping on his own feet.  For a fleeting moment it appeared he had forgotten she was there, but he immediately brightened.  "Yes!  There is!"  He hopped awkwardly into his other sock and zipped up his pants.  "You can bring me lunch later!   I don't have time to pack anything, but if you want to find something in the kitchen and meet me in the central plaza by the Ashen Verdict monument at noon, we can eat together!"  He slipped a tabard with the Kirin Tor emblem on it over his head, realized it was backwards, swore, turned it around, and smoothed it out before cinching his belt around it.

"All right, I can do that," she said, nodding.

"I'm sorry to rush out like this," he said miserably.   "Make yourself at home."  His eyes swept over her naked body from her large blue toes to her vivid orange hair.  He took half a step toward the door, then spun back to give her a kiss that made her knees go weak, running his hands down her back to squeeze her buttocks.  

She gave a low moan and pressed her body against him.

He forced himself out of her embrace and actually ran to the door.  "I have to go!  See you at noon!"

The door slammed shut, and Bridjin was left standing alone in the empty apartment.

"Well."  She looked around at the stained sheets, the unmade bed, and the clothes and adult magazines strewn all over the floor.   "All right, then."

The first order of business was to take a nice, long shower and get dressed.  

She glanced at herself in the mirror and made a sour face at the state her hair was in.  The braid that was normally pinned in a circle above her brow was dangling loose over one shoulder, and only half her hair remained in its ponytail.  All of it was matted and fuzzy from where sweat had dried.

Definitely time for a shower.

Unfamiliar aches made themselves known as she stretched under the stream of hot water, but she couldn't find the heart to complain.  Trolls were no strangers to rough sex, but it was more a matter of it being customary and expected, not the result of out-of-control passion.

Bridjin smiled to herself as she lathered up her hair.   The shampoo had the sort of bland, non-descript scent she expected from a man's collection, which was fine by her.

It took her longer to re-braid and style her hair than it did to dry it, now that she was familiar with the arcane hair dryer.  Some of the hairpins were missing, but she made do with what she had and figured the rest would turn up in the bed later.

Now dressed, dry, and clean, Bridjin ventured out into the main room of the apartment.  The countertops were covered in clutter, but underneath at least they were clean.  

Trolls in general were not overly concerned with tidiness, so the mess didn't bother her as she supposed it would an elven woman.  Cooking was something she enjoyed, however, and an unclean food preparation area just wouldn't do at all.

She cleared a stack of mail, a jar of antacid, a few days of newspapers, and a can of shoe polish off the counter, adding it all to the mess on the kitchen table.  Now that she had room to work, she rummaged around in the refrigerator.  Zhelios was apparently not much of a cook, himself.  Most of what she found was leftover food from restaurants and delivery services.  There were a number of sauces, dressings and other condiments in the door, but no fruit or vegetables that she could find.  

She opened a cupboard and saw fish food, water treatment chemicals, fish medicine, and test tubes for measuring water chemistry.  That didn't do her any good whatsoever.

The next cupboard door she opened revealed bowls, plates and glasses, though not many of each.  She supposed he rarely had guests.

She located two boxes of cereal and one of crackers, a jar of something red and disgusting that she could not identify, a bottle of vinegar, a bag of dinner rolls that were so stale they sounded like stone when she dropped them on the counter, and a carton of milk that was a week past its expiration date.

"By the loa," she said aloud, shaking her head.   "I don't know how he thinks lunch is supposed to come from this disaster."

By the time she had cleared all the inedible items out of the kitchen, she had a large garbage bag full.   "There," she said, dusting off her hands dramatically.  "Much better.  Now..."  She returned to the refrigerator and inspected some of the take-out containers, searching for the freshest one.

 

As noon approached, Bridjin left the apartment with a proud smile and a spring in her step.  It had _not_ been easy cobbling together a meal from the strange collection of leftovers, but she had managed to make a pair of sandwiches with some kind of spicy meat and leafy greens, and she planned to pick up some fruit from a street vendor on the way to the center square.

Dalaran was a vibrant city, its streets teeming with the many races of Azeroth.  Despite hostilities between some of the people when they were elsewhere, here in the floating city of mages there was a temporary truce.  Not to say she didn't receive some hateful glares from dwarves, humans and other Alliance races, but she was in too good a mood to let them bother her.

She wasn't terribly familiar with the city's layout, but the central plaza where the monument had been erected to honor those who defeated the Lich King was a major landmark, and she had no trouble finding it. 

The chimes had not yet rung twelve, so she assumed she was early.  She let the crowds flow around her as she stood and looked over the golden statue.  She had not been nearly strong enough to fight among the Ashen Verdict in the push toward Icecrown.  Her adventuring had been of the less historic variety:   fighting the centaur clans in Desolace and the Barrens, culling harpies in Stonetalon, combating pirates in Tanaris...  Dangerous and thrilling in their own way, but far more mundane than the deeds of Tirion Fordring and the others.  

A tiny sliver of her felt regret that her name would not be immortalized in song and legend, but for the most part she was quite content to stay far away from such world-shaking events.  Highlord Fording had survived to dedicate this monument, but countless others had not.  Great deeds came with great risk, and she liked living just a bit too much to be comfortable on such missions.

Clocks all over the city began to bong and clang to announce the arrival of midday, and she scanned the crowd for a familiar face.  She spotted Zhelios approaching from the direction of the craftsmen's district.  He had a somewhat sheepish expression on his face, and appeared to be limping slightly.

As he got closer she realized why.  His right leg was soaking wet from several inches above his knee down to his shoes, and he was trailing water as he walked.

"What happened to you?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"The glamorous life of a decorative water feature manager," he said with an embarrassed sigh.  "I _thought_ I could reach the shutoff valve for that geyser without getting a ladder."

"And?"

"I may have miscalculated a bit."

"Aww."

"At least I managed to keep my footing when I slipped so only one leg plunged in.  I've taken full-body dunks more than once."

"Poor Zhel," she cooed, giving him a quick kiss.

His demeanor immediately changed for the better.  "A lousy day just got a lot better all of a sudden.  What's for lunch?"

Bridjin's sympathy faded to be replaced with a look of disgust.   "Mon, that is the saddest excuse for a kitchen I've ever seen.  You can't _cook_ in that."

"Sorry.  I wasn't expecting company."

"Forget company, how the hell do _you_ eat?"

"I eat out," he said with a shrug.

She was about to rant about his bare cupboards, but his choice of wording made her pause.  "Yes, you do," she said silkily, stepping closer to him with a seductive wink.

"Oh by the Sunwell, that is _not_ what I meant!" he said, blushing.

"Mister three-time city champion," she teased.

He looked down self-consciously to wring water from his pant leg.   "So did you find anything for lunch, or should I go find a street vendor?"

"Oh, I managed to scrape together a sandwich, of sorts, but you need to go shoppin' in the worst way, Zhel."  They sat down on a bench, and she opened a paper bag to show him the food she had prepared.

"That works," he said, taking a huge bite of the sandwich.  "Mmm!"

"Well, you're easy to please," she said with a shrug.

"So are you, under certain circumstances..."

It was her turn to get flustered at the extra meaning behind his words, and he chuckled.  

"What time do you get done work?" she asked, pointedly keeping her eyes on her sandwich instead of him.

"Five."

"All right, then.  I'll meet you back here and we're going grocery shopping."

"We are?"

"Unless you want to eat cereal and crackers, because trust me, that's all that's fit for humanoid consumption in that kitchen."

"Shopping it is," he said amiably.  "I see you're wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday.  Not that I don't like the outfit, but do you have anything else with you?"

"I left my bags at the inn," she told him.   "I'll swing by and grab them after lunch."

"Ah."

They ate in silence for a few minutes, watching the diverse crowd pass by.

"I don't mean to barge in and take over your life, or anything," Bridjin said suddenly.

He popped the last bite of sandwich in his mouth and looked at her strangely.  "What?"

"You were goin' along, mindin' your own business, livin' your life, and then some strange troll just shows up and starts rearrangin' your kitchen, criticizin' your food supply, bringin' her luggage over, plannin' your shopping...   You probably want me to shut up and stay in bed."

"Good grief, no!  This is exciting!  I've been in a rut for too long, feeling sorry for myself and going through the same routine.   You may have shaken things up, but I _like_ that!  As long as you don't mess with my aquarium, Bridj, you can do whatever you want to feel at home."

"But it's not my home.  It's yours."

He crumpled up his sandwich wrapper and dropped it into the paper bag, then turned to look her right in the eye.  "Bridjin, I know this is all kind of sudden, and I don't know if it's going to last, but for right now, I really enjoy having you here.  Settle in at my place.  Relax.  You're welcome as long as you want to hang around."

She found her smile back.  "Thanks, Zhel.  I'll try not to be a pain in the butt.  Except literally, if you're into that."

He coughed.  "We can discuss that later.  For now, I have to get back to work.  Those fountains don't clean themselves, you know.   Go get your stuff from the inn, and I'll meet you back here at five.  We can do some grocery shopping, but there's so much I want to show you."   He gave an eager smile, and she caught a glimpse of what he must have been like as a young boy, wide-eyed and unbroken by loss.  "This is an amazing city, and I know all the secret little out-of-the-way places."  

"You're awfully good at finding those little, out-of-the-way places," she said huskily, leaning forward to kiss his neck.   "Maybe some of that later, too, hmm?"

"Mmm hmm," he agreed, kissing her carefully on the mouth.

She bit his lip just hard enough to startle him, but not enough to draw blood.  "See you later, hon."  She smirked at him and walked off toward the Sunreaver's Sanctum.

 

* * *

 

Five hours later, Zhelios returned to the central plaza with a dry pant leg and a spring in his step.  Bridjin greeted him with a grin and a wave as he approached, and his eyes took a leisurely tour of her outfit.  The only clothing he had ever seen her wear--besides his own bathrobe--was the purple vest and layered tribal kilt.  Now she wore a similar kilt of brown, yellow and orange that complimented her hair.  From the waist up, she wore a tight-fitting, sleeveless blouse of marigold-colored linen that afforded him a generous view of her cleavage.

"Well, you look absolutely gorgeous," he said, kissing her cheek.

"You just like it because it shows off my boobs," she teased quietly, striking a pose that accentuated her chest.

He surveyed her from head to toe.  "Not _just_ because of that.  The rest of you is quite lovely as well."  He offered his arm, and she hooked her elbow around his as they walked toward the merchant district.

The food market boasted a wide variety of produce, fish, meat, spices and pastries from all over Azeroth.  The city's famous cakes and other confections were displayed prominently, and Bridjin cast a longing eye toward them but kept walking.

"Did you want some sweets?" he asked.

"Nah, mon, gotta watch my girlish figure," she said, bumping her hip against his.  "Especially if I'm gonna compete with all these skinny elves to keep your attention, right?"

"I like your figure just the way it is," he murmured into her ear, and she shivered pleasantly.  "Your curves were the first thing I noticed about you."  He ran one hand along her hip and the side of her left buttock.

She glanced back over her shoulder at the baked goods.   "Well, maybe a cupcake or two, as a treat..."

Zhelios turned around and grabbed a package of chocolate cupcakes.  "These look good."

Bridjin smiled and grabbed a can of whipped cream from a nearby shelf.

"Ah, good idea.  That would be perfect on top of these."

"That too," she said slyly, holding the can against her chest.

"Oh!" he said in surprise, raising his eyebrows.   Then, lowering his voice with an intrigued smirk, he repeated, "Oh."

She bit her lip with a mischieveous smile and continued shopping.

Bridjin selected a number of food items that Zhelios had never tried, and some he couldn't even identify.  "Aww yeah, I haven't had tiger meat in ages!" she said happily.  "Wait until you taste this sauteed with onions and 'shrooms."

"Tiger?" he said, wrinkling his nose.  "I used to date a hunter with a pet tiger."

"I doubt it's the same one," she said with a shrug.

Zhelios shook his head uncertainly but followed without protest.

By the time she was done shopping they were both weighed down with baskets full of food.  He wasn't the best with numbers but he tried to estimate how much all this would cost, and inwardly winced.  When the shopkeeper was done totalling up their purchases, however, Bridjin pulled out a coin purse without hesitation and handed over what would have been a week's pay for him.

"And where would you like this delivered, ma'am?" asked the human clerk.

She turned to him expectantly.

He was still so shocked by the amount of gold she had that it took him a moment to realize what she was asking.  "Oh!  Yes!   Apartment twenty-six, number seventy-four Khadgar Lane."

The shopkeeper wrote this down and repeated it aloud.   "Very good, sir.  Thank you and have a good evening!"

"We will, thanks, mon," Bridjin said, taking Zhelios' arm again on the way out the door.  When they were outside on the street, she gave a satisfied sigh.  "I can't wait to really _cook_ somethin' again.   It's been years since I had a real kitchen to work with.  I'm pretty resourceful with a campfire, don't get me wrong, but there's only so much you can do with travel rations."

"You didn't have to pay for all of that," he said awkwardly.

She blew air through her lips in a dismissive noise.   "I got more gold than I know what to do with, hon.  All that questin' and bounty-collectin' pays pretty good, but without a home or family I ain't got much to spend it on."

"Well...thank you!"

"It's the least I can do, since you're lettin' me stay at your place.  Not that I won't earn my keep in...other ways."  She reached down to squeeze his ass.

He laughed and tightened his arm around her shoulders.   "That's a different matter altogether.  Now, I want to show you around the city a bit.  Have you seen the Violet Citadel?"

"Just from the outside.  Some of you mage-types get a little funny about shadowcasters pokin' their noses into your stuff."

"Ah, that's right.  I've never seen you do magic."

She shrugged.  "I only use it when I have to.   My mama taught me how to defend myself when I was no taller than this," she said, making a vague gesture near her thigh.  "A lot of good it did her when the centaurs came," she added quietly.

Zhelios leaned his head against hers.  "If she was half as amazing as her daughter, I'm sure she was a remarkable troll."

Bridjin gave a melancholy smile and made a visible effort to shake off the sadness.  "She was, mon.  Although I don't know how she'd feel about her little girl shackin' up with an elf."

He chuckled and kissed her temple.

As evening shadows lengthened, they strolled all around Dalaran's major landmarks.  The tabard identifying Zhelios as a public works employee meant they passed unchallenged through shortcuts and areas that would normally be off-limits to civilians. 

Seeing the city that was so familiar through her eyes made everything seem exciting and new.  He enjoyed pointing out all the fountains that he worked on, and she was especially interested in the one that had been responsible for his soaked pant leg earlier.

"See that brass valve up there behind the dragon's tail?" he asked, pointing toward the statue in the center.

She squinted through the spray coming out of the stone figure's mouth.  "Yeah.  You didn't try to reach that from here, did you?"

"I thought I could nudge it shut with a mop handle," he said defensively.

"No wonder you got drenched," she laughed.

"I had to turn the geyser off so I wouldn't get even wetter while I was cleaning garbage out.  You wouldn't believe what people throw into these things.  Alchemy vials, food containers, depleted runes, broken weapons, _bones_!   It's crazy."

"Well, it looks nice and clean now," she said.

"Thank you," he said earnestly.  "Now, it's getting late, but before we go home there's one more place I wanted to show you.   Ever heard of the Purple Parlor?"

She shook her head.

"It's the swankiest lounge in the city, usually a bit out of my league, but the view is spectacular, and since some beautiful troll paid for all the groceries, I think I can splurge just this once."

Bridjin raised an eyebrow, intrigued.  "Lead the way, hon."

This late in the evening the Violet Citadel was nearly deserted, save for the guards.  Zhelios led her up the central staircase and over to a glimmering magic portal.  "After you, my dear," he said, bowing gallantly.

She stepped through the glowing circle and disappeared.   He joined her a moment later, and they found themselves in an elegant lounge furnished with crystal light fixtures and plush divans.  Light music came from thin air.  There was a low hum of conversation from the other patrons, who were all dressed far more formally than they were.

A human server in a dark purple suit approached right away, looking down his nose at them with disdain.  "May I...help you?" he asked.

Zhelios had gold coins in hand already, and straightened his posture in an attempt to look like he belonged here.  "Sparkling Dalaran red for myself.  Pre-Northrend, if available."

Mollified by the amount of gold in his palm, the server nodded.   "And for the...'lady'?"

Bridjin seemed oblivious to the veiled insult.  "Make it a double," she said with an uncertain shrug.

The server bowed and disappeared toward the bar.  By now some of the other customers had noticed them, and the two blood elf women closest to them were whispering to each other.  Zhelios couldn't hear what they were saying but from the scathing looks and titters it was obvious they did not approve of him or his date. 

"Come, my dear, let's take in the view," he said, taking Bridjin by the arm and leading her through an arched doorway.  "You can see the entire city from here."

She took one step outside and froze.  "Whoa, what the hell?"  They were on a balcony at the top of Dalaran's highest spire, and only a twisted golden railing stood between them and a very, very long drop to the city streets.

"That portal took us to the top of the citadel," Zhelios explained.

Bridjin clung to him for dear life and stepped back until she bumped into the wall.  "I don't do heights, mon," she said, voice shaking.

"Oh.  I'm sorry, I didn't think--"

"It's okay, just...get me back inside before I throw up."  She kept her eyes closed as he guided her back inside and eased her onto the nearest settee.

The server came over with their drinks, and Zhelios took them both with a nod of thanks.  "Here," he said, putting the goblet of red wine into Bridjin's hand. 

She finally dared to open her eyes and gratefully gulped down half the wine in one swig.  "Sorry, hon, I'm sure the view is great, but heights turn my knees to jelly."  She put a hand on her chest as she tried to quiet her pounding heart.

"No, I'm sorry, Bridj.  I should have warned you.   See, I know a slow fall spell, so I'm not afraid of heights."

She took another long drink of wine and managed a smile.   "Maybe you can teach me that spell sometime."

Zhelios sat down beside her and sampled his wine.   "Hmm.  This is a newer vintage than I asked for."

"Tastes okay to me."

"Oh, it's fine.  But the wine made before the city moved to Northrend has a richer flavor.  Something about the soil in Hillsbrad, I think.  No matter.  The company is without parallel."

She smiled and raised her nearly-empty glass for a toast.   "To us."

"To us."  He clinked his glass to hers and tilted his head as if wanting to kiss her.

Before their lips could connect, a voice said, "Zhelios Goldriver, is that _you_?"

He looked up in surprise to see a blood elf woman walking toward them with an insincere smile.  He tensed immediately.  "Lorania.   I didn't know you were in town."

The elf stopped in front of them and posed confidently, showing off what were clearly very expensive robes of exotic silk, lined with gems and sparkling with magical enchantments.  "I've been busy fighting the mogu in Pandaria," she bragged.  "Very important, world-saving business, as I'm sure you know."  She casually conjured a swirl of flame in her right hand and dispersed it with a dainty puff of breath.  "And you?  Still picking refuse out of fountains to make ends meet?"

Zhelios glared up at her, his green eyes glowing brighter as his temper flared.  "I make an honest living," he said evenly.   "This is the most beautiful city in the world, and I help keep it that way."

Lorania looked down her nose at him with a pitying click of her tongue.  "Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night, darling.   You had so much potential, once.  To think that you've fallen so low that you'd consort with _that_."  She turned her gaze on Bridjin with the sort of expression most people would use when faced with dead vermin.

Zhelios jolted to his feet.  " _That_ is my girlfriend," he said in a low, dangerous voice.  "And you _will_ treat her with respect."

Lorania gave a mocking laugh.  "A _troll_ , Zhelios?  Really?"

Bridjin stood up and jutted her tusks at the other female.   "You got a problem with trolls, mon?"

Lorania was a few inches shorter than her, but did not flinch.   "Yes.  I do.  You filthy savages have terrorized Quel'thalas for centuries."

"You blind, elf-girl?  I be Darkspear, not Amani.  And last I checked we were part of the same Horde," Bridjin snarled.

Lorania's painted lips twisted into a smug smile.   "Last _I_ checked, the Warchief has _your_ kind shunted off to the slums."

Zhelios frowned more deeply in confusion.  He hadn't heard of any anti-troll sentiment within the Horde, but then he hadn't been to Orgrimmar in years, either.

"Look, missy, we Darkspear don't need fancy stuff to survive.  We been through worse than Garrosh's scorn and come out stronger.  Don't make me show you how _much_ stronger."  Dark violet energy began to crackle around her hands.

"Bridj, don't," he said, laying a hand on her forearm.  "It's not worth it.  Let's just go."

"Yes, please do leave before we all catch some horrid jungle disease," Lorania said, turning on her heel to walk away.  "The Parlor doesn't serve cannibals, anyway."

"Cannibal?  Why you--"  Bridjin's lips kept moving but no sound came out.  She looked around in confusion and saw a bouncer pointing at her.  It dawned on her that he had used a silencing spell.

"Come on, Bridj," Zhelios said quietly, leading her toward the portal that would take them back down to the main room of the citadel.

The silencing spell had worn off by the time they got out to the street again, and she sputtered in rage.  "Who does that mana-sucking bitch think she is?"

Zhelios shook his head in disgust, trying his best to control his own temper to avoid feeding her anger.  "Lorania and I go way back.  We were in the same class at the academy.  Obviously she graduated, and I...didn't."

"What's she got against you?"

"We didn't part on the best of terms," he said vaguely, then sighed.  "All right, I might as well tell you.  We were lovers, once.  If there _was_ such a thing as a city cunnilingus champion, she would have been the first one to nominate me."

Bridjin stopped in her tracks and gawked at him.   "You and that harpy?"

"She wasn't like that then.  Well, maybe a little, but not enough to make me dump her."  He put his hands in his pockets and hung his head.  "I was young, she was pretty, we were in the same classes...it happened.  We broke up a few months before Archimonde destroyed the city."

She stared at him for a moment, her expression softening.   "Well, I suppose we all have our demons in the past."  She smirked.   "And by that I mean her, not Archimonde."

He gave a half-hearted laugh.  "I haven't seen her in at least two years, and if it goes another two it won't be long enough.  Just...forget her.  We were having such a nice evening."

She threaded her arm around his as they resumed walking.  "We still are."  She looked around the craftsmen's neighborhood, but all the stores were dark and closed at this time of night.  "Say...you know a spot nearby where we can be alone?"

"Um...yes.  Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

She grinned wickedly.  "I gotta reassert my claim on you, hon.  That hussy challenged me."

He put a hand on her chin to gently turn her into a kiss.   "No, she didn't.  I wouldn't go back to her for all the gold in Undermine."

It wasn't easy to kiss and walk at the same time, but somehow they managed as Zhelios led her down an alleyway to an unmarked door.  He got a key out of his pocket and opened the door with a shaky hand.  A light blinked on inside, and Bridjin stopped shoving her tongue in his mouth long enough to turn around and see where they were.

It was obviously a storeroom of some kind for the public works employees.  Plain metal shelves lined two of the walls, and the other had a line of brooms, mops and rakes in racks.  The shelves were full of extra light fixtures, cleaning products, and boxes whose contents were currently irrelevant.  There was also a large sink on the far end of the room, next to a stack of buckets.

"Romantic," she said with a quirk of her brow.

"You didn't say romantic.  You said someplace we could be alone."

She shrugged.  "Good enough."  She turned and threw her arms around him, kissing him with renewed fervor.  He stumbled back and sat down on the lone folding chair, and she slid into his lap, straddling him with her legs.  "Mmm, Zhel, you taste like that wine," she said between kisses.

"So do you."

She whipped off her blouse, leaving him face to face with her bare breasts.

"Hello there," he said, massaging them both until her nipples were fully at attention.  "If it isn't my favorite boobs in the whole world.  Come here often?"

She giggled and began to rock against him, rubbing her crotch against his through their clothes.  

He was soon firmly erect, and moaned into her mouth as she kissed him desperately.  "Oh, Bridj," he gasped.  "I want you."

She gathered her kilt up around her waist as he unzipped his pants, and as soon as possible she lowered herself onto his rod.  "Oh yeah," she gasped as he filled her.  "That's it.  Nice an' deep, mon.   Mmm yeah..."

He grasped her to him with both arms locked around her back, his chin on her shoulder, and began to thrust into her.  She writhed against him, panting as heat blazed between them.  She had one hand on the back of his head and one across his shoulderblade, swaying along with him as he pumped inside her.

"Oh yeah," she sighed.  "Faster, hon, you've got the spot.  Ooh..."

He clutched her body tighter, making gutteral noises of effort as he thrust upward.  The folding chair slid backward a little but neither noticed.   "Uh...  Uh...  Oh yeah!  Tighter, Bridj, squeeze me harder!"

She clenched around him, grinding her hips down until she felt his balls against her skin.  "Oh, Zhelios," she groaned, drawing out both "oh" sounds as her breathing came faster and faster.  "I'm close, hon.   It feels so good...  Mmm!"

Zhelios grunted and jerked his hips frantically as he felt his release building.

"Yeah, mon!" Bridjin cried out, arching her back.   "That's it!  You got it!  I'm comin'!"  Her spasming tunnel gripped his cock tighter as she bore down with a breathless squeak of ecstasy.

Simultaneously, he let his climax erupt deep inside her, shuddering and gasping.  "Ohhh!  Ahhh!  Yeah!  Oh, Bridj!   Yes!"

She kept milking every last drop from his throbbing shaft until he was too limp to stay inside her, then slid off his lap with a giddy laugh.   "That was fun, mon!"

He wiped sweat out of his eyes and attempted to catch his breath.  "Oh, Bridjin, that was...  Wow.  I'll never be able to get stuff from this storeroom again without remembering how good that felt."

She let her wobbly knees bend as she sank onto the floor, wheezing and giggling while she put her blouse back on.  "I bet you water feature manager-types have these little storage closets all over the city, don't ya?"

"Well, yeah."

"We'll have to visit the others from time to time, as the mood strikes."  She stood up again and straightened her clothing.

He nodded and yawned.  "Not tonight.  It's been a long day."

She leaned down to kiss his damp forehead.  "Yes, it has."

"Let's go home."

She gave a wistful smile.  "Yeah.  Home."

 

Bridjin bustled around the kitchen, happily humming to herself as she unpacked their groceries and organized the cupboards.  "Oh, this'll be so great!  I can't wait to get cookin'!"

She realized she hadn't heard anything from Zhelios since they walked in the door, and she poked her head into the bedroom.  The blood elf had discarded his clothes on the floor in a trail leading from the closet to the bed, and he was already under the covers, snoring.

"Poor baby," she whispered with a smile.   "Workin', shoppin', fightin', fuckin'...wore ya right out."  She slipped back to the kitchen to finish putting the groceries away.  As soon as that was done, she tip-toed into the bedroom and changed into a sheer, cream-colored nightgown that reached to her knees, but left everything visible through the thin fabric.  She unpinned her braids and shook out her hair with a relieved sigh.  After a visit to the bathroom she turned off the lights and crawled into bed.

Zhelios was sleeping too soundly to even notice that he was no longer alone under the sheets.  The troll laid on her side, watching him breathe.   She tried to imagine him being intimate with that horrid woman they had met in the Purple Parlor, and frowned.  A surge of jealousy made her snuggle closer, putting her arms around him possessively.  He did not wake up, but stirred with a soft moan and nuzzled against her, then fell still again.

Bridjin laid her head against his chest and listened to his heart beat.

Home.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dishwashing as foreplay. Sex toys, anal, double penetration. Also standard missionary.
> 
> Brief description of dying in battle.
> 
> Discussion of cannibalism and birth control. (What a combination! LOL)

Warm lips against her own eased her out of slumber many hours later.  "Morning, Bridj," Zhelios said, continuing the line of kisses down her neck and collarbone.

"Mmm, morning, hon," she murmured, running one hand through his dark red hair.

She half-expected him to climb on top of her, but instead he got up and went into the bathroom, where she heard the shower start.  She laid on her back, staring at the ceiling and mulling over what she should make for breakfast.  At least she had options now.

Within a half hour, the two of them sat down at the kitchen table with steaming plates of scrambled raptor eggs, Durotar boar bacon, and Tel'abim bananas.  "Oh my gods," Zhelios moaned after the first bite.   "This is the best thing I've ever tasted."

She giggled.  "Judging by your kitchen, that wouldn't take much, but thanks, hon."

"Mmm!"  He closed his eyes and chewed slowly to savor every mouthful.

"Yeesh, mon, if you're going to have an orgasm at the table, at least include me a little," she teased.

He slouched in embarrassment.  "It's so good, I just might."

"Dessert?" she hinted.

He chuckled but said nothing, preferring to use his mouth for chewing instead.  When he had sated the worst of his hunger, he looked over at Bridjin and saw her smirking at him with a banana poised suggestively against her lips.

"Let me finish eating first, you little minx."

She laughed and resumed her breakfast.

A few minutes of pleasant silence later, he swallowed and started scooping a second helping on his plate.  "So what was she-who-will-never-be-spoken-of-again talking about last night?  Is Garrosh treating the trolls of Orgrimmar poorly?"

Bridjin dropped her fork and would not meet his eye.   "Oh, y'know, he just thinks orcs are superior to the rest.  Annoying, sure, but..."  She let her voice trail off uncertainly and stirred her orange juice.

"She made it sound like he had forced the trolls into the slums."

She was silent, an uncharacteristically grim expression on her face.  "Some," she said at last.

He frowned in concern.  "C'mon, Bridj.  You can tell me.  What's going on?"

She swallowed her last bite of eggs and fidgeted with her spoon.  "It's...not good, mon.  At first it just seemed like a political thing, y'know?  Vol'jin had been sassin' back at him so he showed off his power as Warchief by relocatin' all the trolls in town to the western slums.  Well, we Darkspear don't need anythin' fancy, so we just made the best of things, fixin' up the new neighborhood with our own style.  Some moved to Sen'jin.  I could have gone to stay there with my aunt, but...it's the principle of the thing.  That idiot orc thinks he got the better of the Darkspear?  No way, mon.  He wasn't gonna chase me out."  She paused to take a drink, and he did not interrupt.

"It's been that way since soon after that knucklehead became Warchief.  There was...tension.  But that's all it was.  Lately, though..."  She shifted her weight in her chair, still refusing to look at him.   "The Korkron have been getting bolder.  Merchants shut down without explanation.  Goods seized.  Trolls who dare venture into the rest of the city bein' followed and intimidated.  And there are whispers...  Some folk have disappeared."

Zhelios inhaled sharply.  "You mean...?"

"I don't know, mon.  But it seems awfully funny that the ones who've gone missin' were the ones who complained the most about Garrosh and what he's been doin'."

"That's terrible."

She pushed the eggs around on her plate and bit her lower lip.   "I...  I don't want you to think that I'm only here because I'm afraid to be 'round Orgrimmar anymore.  It did seem like a good idea to get away from there, but I could have gone anyplace.  I'm here in Dalaran because of _you_.   It's not that I'm layin' low.  Honest."

He reached across the table and put his hand over hers.   "I believe you.  And I'm glad you're here."

She finally looked up and met his eyes with a grateful, shy smile.  "Thanks, hon."

They merely sat gazing at each other for a moment.  At last, he rose from the table and scraped his plate into the garbage.  "Since you made it, I'll clean up."

"What a guy," she said, sitting back with her legs crossed as he cleared the table.  She watched him for a few minutes, admiring his physique, before getting up.  "If I help it'll go faster, though."

He turned from the sink with a questioning look.   "Are we on a schedule?  I have the day off work, you know."

"Oh, I know," she said, feeling him up as she went past him on the way to the refrigerator.  "I have other plans for ya."

He grinned.  "Color me intrigued."

"I brought a few little toys with me," she purred, wrapping her arms around him from behind.  He dropped the glass he was washing, and it splashed soapy water onto the front of his shirt.

"These can soak," he said quickly.

"Nah, let's get the kitchen clean before we get ourselves dirty," she said with a devious laugh, grabbing a dish towel.

It was the fastest dishwashing Zhelios had ever done.  In his haste he sloshed water all over the front of his clothes, and by the time the last plate was clean his shirt was sticking to his chest, and a wet patch on the front of his pants drew attention to the pronounced bump there.

"Did you lose it already?" she teased, gesturing at his crotch.

"No," he said defensively.  "That's dishwater."

"Ah," she said, playing along.  "Well, let me get that dry."  She bent down and rubbed across the bulge with her towel, pretending to wipe it dry but instead making him even harder.

He made a strangled noise and leaned on the counter.   "Damn it, Bridj, that isn't fair."

She giggled wickedly and stood up.  "I'm afraid your clothes are just too wet.  You'll have to take them off."

"Is that all that's wet?" he asked slyly, lifting the hem of her blouse to slide a hand into her panties.  She squeaked in surprise as his damp fingers burrowed between her legs.  "Why, no, it seems something else is very, very wet," he said huskily.

"You know it, mon."  She hopped up and put her legs around his waist, holding onto him with her arms under his and up over the back of his shoulders.

"Whoa, Bridj!"  He staggered back a step and bumped into the counter.  "I'm not as strong as you."

"Want me to carry you, instead?" she asked, licking his neck.

"I think I can make it."  He put his hands under her buttocks to help lift her and hurried into the bedroom.  He dumped her onto the bed unceremoniously, and she squealed with laughter.

"Hey, at least I didn't drop you," he said.

She sat up, unbuttoning her blouse.  "Not exactly, no."  She tossed her blouse aside and stepped out of her skirt on her way to the closet.  She knelt to rummage in one of the two bags she had brought with her, and he disrobed as he admired her body.

"Here we go."  She turned around and held up a bright pink phallus.

"I already have one of those," he said, pointing to his erection.

"Yeah, but I have more than one hole down there," she said with a feral grin.

"Oh."  She tossed him a small jar, and he reflexively caught it.   "Shardhorn fat lubricating oil?" he read from the label.

"It's good stuff, mon.  Nice and slick, and it tingles."  She handed him the dildo on her way into the bathroom.   "Get it greased up while I make sure everything else is good to go."

Zhelios gulped nervously and stared at the garish pink cylinder.   "Um...okay?"  He had no experience with such things.  He had never seen the need for such accessories when his own body had plenty of possibilities all its own.  Nonetheless, he opened the jar and did as she instructed.

Bridjin came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, having flushed the toilet twice.  "Okay, should be good.  The only question is, which hole do you want?  Mister Pink there can have the other."

Zhelios stammered and looked from her to the dildo and back again.  "I...have no idea what to do with this thing."

"The same thing you do with your own dick," she said with a laugh.  "You look like you're scared of it, mon!"

"I've never...seen one."

"Never?  Oh, hon, you've been missin' out.   Remember how much fun you had showin' me what oral was all about?"

"Uh...yes."

She bared her fangs in a mischievous grin.  "My turn to give you a little education..."  She leaned against the edge of the bed and stuck her butt out.  "Take me whichever way you want, hon.  Just put my pink friend there into whichever hole you won't be usin'."

Zhelios had only had one previous lover who was willing to try anal, so he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity.  He carefully inspected her anatomy, running his fingers through her folds to navigate.  She squirmed appreciatively as his thumb stroked her clit.

Her vagina was slick and dilated, and he had no trouble sliding the dildo inside her.

"All the way, hon," she said.  "The end's flared out so you won't lose it."

He drew it out an inch or two and then pushed it in further.

"Oh yeah," she hissed.  "That's more like it."

"I think this thing's bigger than mine," he said with a pout. 

"I still like yours better, Zhel."

"Well, good.  Ready for it?"

"You all lubed up?"

He spread an extra coat of the clear gel over his member just in case.  "Slippery as an eel."

"Then go for it."  She scooted further onto the bed, remaining on her stomach but bracing with her knees to lift her rear in his direction.

Dizzy with anticipation, Zhelios crawled on top of her and carefully lined up the head of his cock with her anus.  "Here I come," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Go slow at first," she said, reaching back to spread her cheeks with her hands.

He did, barely poking the tip into her puckered hole, then back out, then in again with just the head.  The extra tightness felt exquisite, and he struggled to maintain a leisurely pace.

Bridjin did not seem to be in any distress, so he gently pushed in a bit deeper until half of his shaft was buried in her ass.  "Is that okay?" he asked.

"Fine," she said, though her voice sounded a bit strained.  "Leave it there for a sec, though."

He reached down and twisted the dildo in and out of her vagina a few times, and she clenched both of her holes in response.  The pressure around his penis nearly made him lose control, but he kept his hips still and concentrated instead on stroking her clit.

"Oh, Zhelios," she moaned.  "That feels really good, hon.  Keep going."

He pushed his throbbing cock a little deeper, and she shuddered.

"Are you all right?" he asked quickly.

"Oh yeah," she groaned.  "More than all right!"

He thrust in another inch until he was completely lost inside her heat, breathing faster.  "By the Sunwell, Bridj, that feels...  That's...  Uhh!"

"Come on," she urged, squeezing him tightly.   "Get with the humpin', mon."

He did, rocking on top of her with breathless sounds of pleasure, holding onto her hips with a grip so tight he was likely to bruise her, but she did not complain.  Quite the contrary, she swayed along with him, complimenting him on his girth.

The blood rushing in his head and his crotch made Zhelios lose all sense of time and place.  There was only the two of them in the entire world, only the scent and scorching heat of her body, only the ecstacy that came over him in relentless waves.

He couldn't last long.  He knew he wouldn't, going in, but didn't care.  He pounded into her tight hole in a frantic rhythm, grunting with effort, and soon threw his head back to cry out as he climaxed.  His emptied himself inside her rectum, stuffing himself even deeper as he convulsed in orgasm.

She made a small noise of discomfort but kept gripping him tightly, letting him have his way with her completely.

When he was utterly spent and his penis went limp, he drew out of her slowly and carefully.

"Holy Light," he gasped, flopping onto his side on the bed.  "That was incredible!"

Bridjin turned so she was facing him, knees raised and legs spread.  The end of the bright pink dildo was still sticking out of her vagina.   "Glad you enjoyed it.  Now be a sweetheart and finish me off, hmm?"

He reached out with a shaking hand to grasp the flared end of the phallus and began to slide it halfway out and then back in, making sure it rubbed against her clit as he did so.

"Ooh, nice," she said, laying back so all he could see was her legs and her sex.  "You sure you never done that before?  Because you're hittin' all the right spots.  Mmm!"

"I've done it with my own dick before," he joked.   "This one isn't that much different, I guess."

"Faster!  Faster!"  She grabbed handfuls of sheets and arched her back.

He complied, enjoying the wet sucking noise as he pulled and pushed on the dildo.  "How's that?"

"Perfect!  Keep d-doing that!  I'm...  I'm gonna come any second, mon!"

He moved the toy with one hand and tickled her nub with the other, and she twitched in response.   She drew her legs in even closer to her body, her feet curving in pleasure, and sounded to be nearly hyperventillating as orgasm swept her away.

"Oh yes oh Zhel oh yeah oh loa oh yes oh my oh ohhh!" she blathered, gyrating her hips.

He kept slipping the shaft in and out until she collapsed with a gusty sigh, then removed it completely.  "Fun little doodad," he said, studying it with new appreciation.

"Oh, Zhel, that was _good_ ," she moaned, rolling onto her side.

"It didn't hurt, did it?"

"Nah.  At least, not in a bad way."

"It was only my second time doing anal so I hope I did it right," he said awkwardly, kissing her shoulder.

"You did fine, hon," she said.  "More than fine."

 

 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, Zhelios sat on the sofa, reading the newspaper, while Bridjin puttered around the kitchen.  He had given up trying to guess what she was doing, and suspected she was just rearranging the cupboards because she enjoyed playing with them.  She kept opening drawers and closing them, moving cans from one shelf to another, humming happily to herself.   She wore a yellow and orange batik sundress that nicely complimented her hair.

"Having fun?" he asked.

She turned with a sheepish smile.  "Yeah, I am.   It's been so long since I had a real kitchen to work with, you don't even know.   I loved to cook, growin' up.  My aunt was the best in Sen'jin, and she taught me all her tricks.  I think that's what I've missed the most in the years while I've been out adventurin'."

"Well, as you can tell I don't really do much with the kitchen, so it's all yours."

She held up a clear jar full of pale blue crystal shards.   "What's this?  They don't look edible."

He looked over to see what she had, and shifted his weight uncomfortably.  "Oh, those.  They're mana crystals."

She had a blank expression, not understanding.

He hesitated, then said quickly, "When the magic addiction gets too bothersome I'll drain a few.  I try to control it other ways, but sometimes..."

"Ah, I see.  It's a blood elf thing."

"Yes.  It is.  I'm not proud of it, but...   At least I don't chew or smoke bloodthistle."

"That stuff's bad for your teeth."

"I know."  He returned his gaze to his newspaper, hoping she would let the matter drop.

"I'll put them in this cupboard with the antacid and other medicines.  I brought a bunch of potions and ointments and stuff.  I do a little alchemy, y'see, so if there's somethin' ailing ya, let me know.  I probably know the herbs to fix it."

He made a vague noise of acknowledgment.

"Like these green pills, here.  If you ever get the runs, take one of those and I guarantee you won't shit for days.  Or this purple powder?  Stir it into your drink if you're havin' trouble sleepin'.  Gives you eight hours, out cold without any dreams, even.  This gummy brown stuff helps a headache if you chew it."

He was barely listening, figuring she could point him to the right bottle if he needed a remedy later, but the next thing she said caught his attention.

"And I'm almost out of this yellow stuff, but it's a powerful aphrodisiac."

"Say what?"  He turned to look at her again.

She smirked.  "Figured you'd be interested in that one, hon.  It's an herb called dreamin' glory.  Sprinkle the petals around the bed or put them in your bathwater, and you'll get hornier than a talbuk."

"You don't say..."

"Not that we've needed the extra help, so far, but just in case..."  She winked and put the jar back in the cupboard.  "Just don't get it confused with this other yellow stuff.  That's used to cure constipation.  One taste of that stuff and you'll be on the pot for hours."

"Um...good to know."

She finally seemed to tire of rearranging the kitchen and came over to plop down beside him on the sofa.  "What'cha readin'?"

"Just the paper."

"Anythin' big happenin'?"

"Forces are gathering to attack the Heart of Fear," he said, pointing to the front page.  "The mantid empress is believed to be corrupted by the Sha."

"I'd never trust a bug too big to squish with a shoe," she said with a shiver of disgust.

"You don't wear shoes."

"You know what I mean," she said, rolling her eyes.   She swung her feet up onto the arm of the sofa, stretching her legs across his lap.

"There's a coupon here for drinks at the Legerdemain Lounge.  Have you been there yet?"

"Don't think so."

"Nice place, not too far from the craftsmen's district.   We could have supper there.  Unless you had your heart set on cooking again."

"Nah, there'll be time for that.  We can go out, assuming this place isn't as snooty as that Purple Parlor was."

"No, no, it's much more mainstream.  There's an inn upstairs, so a lot of its customers are travelers.  No need to dress up."

"Sounds good."  Bridjin bent one of her legs to draw her large blue foot across his lap, and he flinched at the unexpected pressure on his crotch.  "Oh, sorry, did I hurt ya?"

"No, just...be careful."

"I could kiss it and make it all better," she purred, edging over to take him in her arms.

"No," Zhelios said firmly, putting a protective hand over his package.  "No offense, Bridj, but I don't want your tusks down there."

"I'd be careful."

"I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose, but..."   He shuddered.  "The thought kills any boner I might be getting."

"You're the first guy I've ever known to turn down a blowjob," she teased, brushing her hand across the front of his pants.

"Nothing personal.  You know I'm more than willing to do...well, just about anything but that with you."

"Anything, hmm?"  She sat back with a devious smile.

"Within the limits of safety and sanity, of course."

"Sanity is overrated," she scoffed.  "But all right.  If you're sure, I think I'm going to go shoppin' and find something new to wear tonight."

"You don't have to dress up for the Legerdemain Lounge," he reminded her.

She stood up, grabbed her gold purse out a drawer, and gave him a sidelong glance.  "Who said anythin' about that?  This is for _after_.   What's your favorite color?"

"Gray."

"Boring.  What else?"

"Um...Dalaran purple?"

"Hmm...  Okay then.  I'll be back in a couple hours."  She blew him a kiss from the doorway and left.

Zhelios shook his head and tried to steady his breathing.   He was getting the impression that life with Bridjin would never be boring.

 

* * *

 

The scene at the Legerdemain Lounge was more suited to Zhelios and Bridjin's style than the Purple Parlor had been.  Families with children occupied many of the tables, a group of teenagers gossiped in the corner, and an elderly couple of humans were enjoying cocktails at the bar.  No one gave the troll and blood elf a second glance as they entered and asked for a table for two.

The high elf server seated them against the back wall, between a decorative bookcase and an unoccupied table of similar size.

"It still feels weird to know I might come back here again sometime," Bridjin said as she looked over the menu.  "I'm used to just passin' through places and figurin' I'd never be there again."  She looked up at him and smiled.  "It's nice."

"Good."

The high elf returned to bring their drinks and take their order.  Bridjin chose a mammoth steak--the server assured her that the name referred to the species, not the portion--and Zhelios selected a quiche made from dragonhawk eggs.

"You elves aren't big on red meat, are you?" she asked when the server had left again.

"I don't think it's an elf thing, so much as a 'me' thing.   I don't mind it in a sandwich or something, but a big slab on a plate..."   He made a disgusted face.

"It won't bother you to see me eatin' it, will it?"

"No, no.  It's fine."

"Thanks for not makin' any cannibalism jokes," she said with a frown.  "We Darkspear gave that up when we joined the Horde, you know."

"Before that...?"  He looked like he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

She gave him a reassuring smile.  "It wasn't the big deal some people make it seem like.  It's not like we were eatin' each other as part of our daily diet, or somethin'.  But when a revered leader died, or a powerful enemy was captured..."  She shrugged.  "It was a way to take a bit of their strength for yourself.  They say eatin' the heart of an enemy gave you insight into how they thought, makin' it easier to defeat their kind.  And it was a sign of great respect for the deceased to take a part of them into you."

Zhelios considered this and nodded slowly, trying to keep an open mind.

She made sure to keep her voice low enough that only he could hear.  "When I was very small, long before any of us knew what an orc was, the oldest witch doctor in the islands died in his sleep.  Everyone, and I do mean everyone, gathered at his funeral pyre to honor him.  And part of that was to eat a tiny bite of his flesh.  It was just what we did."  She swept her eyes over the room, taking in the many different races of Azeroth and Draenor dining together in peace.  "Some people like your ex imagine that we trolls would just go into a blood frenzy and tear each other apart to devour right on the spot, but it wasn't like that.  It was done rarely, and with great ceremony."

"I see.  What about sacrifices?  I know the Amani were always big on that."

"You'd never eat a sacrifice, mon," she said, wrinkling her nose.  "That's bad mojo.  The whole point of sacrificin' someone or something was to feed the loa.  You don't take back what belongs to _them_.  That'd be crazy."

"Ah.  So my great-uncle who was kidnapped by an Amani war party was simply killed, not eaten?"

"I don't know much about the Amani, hon, but probably."

"I grew up hating and fearing the forest trolls," he confessed, turning his fork over in his hands.  "My mother never missed an opportunity to tell the story of how her uncle was taken by them, and everyone knew someone who knew a casualty of the troll wars."

"Good thing I'm not Amani, then," she said just a little defensively.

He gave her a reassuring smile.  "Indeed.  I much prefer the blue fuzz over the green moss."  He reached across the table and brushed a finger across her cheek, and she gave a shy giggle.  "No, Bridj, I'm well aware that not all trolls are the same.  Nor are elves the same.  I'm sure you're not any fonder of night elves than I am, but that doesn't stop you from being with me."

A shadow passed over her face, and she lowered her eyes.   "True."

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly.

She forced a smile as the server brought their meals.  As soon as she was gone, however, Bridjin sighed and did not touch the steaming steak in front of her.  "You're right, Zhel.  I _hate_ night elves.  You want to know why?"

Zhelios was slightly taken aback by the venom in her voice.   He had only seen her truly angry once before, in response to Lorania's goading in the Purple Parlor.  "Why?" he asked simply.

She began cutting her steak, sawing through the meat in a fierce manner quite different from how elves would do such a thing.  "You know you're not my first lover.  I've had a few flings before, like what our first night together was supposed to be.  But before that, when I was young and had just struck out on my own...  I was in love with a fellow troll.  Kenlek was his name, and he had the finest brown eyes you've ever seen."  She gave a wistful smile, studying her plate with a distant look.  "Kind to me, fierce to his enemies, honorable and brave...  Hung like a kodo..."

Zhelios coughed uncomfortably.

She smirked.  "Sorry, hon.  Anyway, we fought together to defend the Barrens from the night elves in the north.  He asked me to be his wife, and I accepted his proposal.  We planned to go back to Sen'jin and settle down after our assignment at the Ashenvale border was done."  She took a bite of her steak and chewed slowly.

"What happened?" he asked after a moment.

"Silverwing Sentinels attacked in the middle of the night.   Which they usually did, being night elves, and all, but..."  She swallowed.  "Kenlek was a shaman, and he should have been safe near the back of the line, sending lightning and wind at the enemy.  But the sentinels have glaive throwers, y'know."  She closed her eyes, obviously reliving the night in question.  "They couldn't have been aiming for him.  It was just dumb luck.   But when I found him, after we had repelled the attack...  He was in two pieces."

"Gods, Bridj, I'm so sorry," he said sincerely, reaching over to put a hand on her wrist.

She gave a grateful, sad smile.  "No point in goin' back to Sen'jin alone, I figured, so I moved on.  Fought centaur for awhile in Desolace, thinned the harpy population in Stonetalon, that sort of thing."  She took another bite of steak.  "Made myself useful, anyway.  But it was dangerous work, and I thought to myself, 'Bridjin, sister, is anyone going to care when it's _your_ corpse that lies stiffenin' on a battlefield?'  My aunt's gettin' along in years.  I have a few friends, like that orc I was travelin' with when we met, but if I got killed they'd shrug and go on.  Things like that happen all the time, out there.   I just...I wanted to _matter_ to someone."  She fell silent, keeping her gaze on her meal but not eating any more of it.

Zhelios leaned across the table and placed a tender kiss on her forehead through her bright orange bangs.  "You matter to me, Bridj," he whispered.

She looked up at him, and tears spilled down her cheeks.   "Thanks, hon," she said, dabbing at her face with a napkin.   "Now look at me, all weepy like a silly little kid.  That's not why you invited me out to supper."

"I invited you out because I thought you'd enjoy it, and it's a nice place to sit and talk.  I want to know everything about you, Bridjin.   I'm sorry this discussion turned so heavy so fast, though."  Seeing her cry, even just a little bit, made his chest feel tight.  More than anything in the world, he wanted her to be happy.

"It's okay, hon.  I didn't have to get into all that right now.  I don't know why I did.  I guess...I want you to know me, too."   She salvaged a smile as the tears stopped welling up.

"How's the steak?" he asked.

"It's good.  It's real good.  And that egg thing I can't spell?"

"The quiche?"  He looked down at his plate with a guilty wince.  "I actually haven't tasted it yet."

"Well, get busy eatin', mon!" she scolded, waving her fork at him.  "Don't let me and my sob stories stop you.  Besides...you'll need the energy for later."

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued, but her mysterious smile only hinted at what she had planned.  Whatever it was, he knew he'd enjoy it.

They made small talk about the food and the other patrons for awhile, content to simply be together without unearthing any more painful memories.

A human barely old enough to walk went careening by, screaming giggles as she managed to elude the older brother chasing her.

"Come back here, you little pain in the butt!" the boy said, finally grabbing a hold of her sleeve.

The toddler lost her balance and fell on her diapered bottom.   It took her a moment to realize what had happened, but when she did she began to scream at the top of her lungs.

A woman who was obviously the mother of the pair came hurrying over and scooped the crying child up in her arms.

"I tried to catch her, Ma," the boy apologized.   "She's really fast!"

"It's all right," the woman said, but whether she was comforting the screeching toddler or reassuring the boy wasn't clear.  Perhaps it was both.  They all went back to their table on the far side of the restaurant.

Bridjin had a genuine smile on her face now, and was eating with more enthusiasm.

Zhelios was grateful for the distraction, but it reminded him of something he'd been meaning to ask her.  "Um, I realize it's a little late now to bring this up, but...I assume you're doing or taking something to, uh...prevent that kind of thing?"

"Prevent kids screamin' in restaurants?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Prevent having kids in the first place," he said quietly.

She laughed.  "Yeah, mon.  Well, I wasn't that first night we had together, but your you-know-what never got near my baby-makin' parts, so..."

He blushed slightly.

"But when I came back for seconds?  Yeah, I've got potions for that, too."

"Ah.  Good.  I mean, the odds of a blood elf and a troll reproducing aren't great to begin with, but...better safe than sorry."

She nodded and took a drink of the wine he had ordered for them with the coupon.  "You ever thought about havin' kids?  I mean, not with a troll, but...in general?"

He shifted his weight awkwardly.  "Maybe.  If the time was right.  You?"

"My dead fiance that we weren't going to talk about anymore and I were planning on having some, yeah."

"Oh."

"But no, don't worry, mon.  There will be no blue-skinned, green-eyed, long-eared babies with tusks comin' out of me."

"All right.  Good to know."

 

They returned to lighter topics of conversation again, and ended up enjoying their meal very much when all was said and done.  They strolled through the moonlight on their way home, taking their time as they digested and enjoyed the calm night after the hustle and bustle of the lounge.

"Stars be pretty tonight," she said, craning her neck up to look at the sky.

"They are, although it's still disconcerting to me sometimes because I grew up seeing different constellations above the city.  Moving the whole thing to Northrend was confusing."

"I bet.  I try very hard not to think about the fact that the city is floatin' so high above the ground!"

He put an arm around her shoulders.  "Stick with me.   If the city plummets out of the sky, I can cast my slow fall spell on both of us."

"Thanks, hon, that's real comfortin'," she said with an exaggerated shiver.

They walked another block in silence, and he realized how pleasant her company was even without saying a word.  He watched her out of the corner of his eye, noting how the moonlight made her pale blue skin seem to glow.   "You look beautiful tonight," he said almost without meaning to.

"Aww, you big flirt," she said, turning her face away shyly.

"You _are_ beautiful, Bridjin," he said quietly, kissing the nearest side of her head.  "Inside and out.  The more I get to know you, the more I realize how incredible you are."

"You know I'm going to sleep with you anyway.  You don't have to butter me up with pretty words," she said flippantly.

"Every word's the truth, Bridj."  He looped his arm around her waist to hold her close to his side as they walked slowly from lamppost to lamppost, following the golden islands of light down the street.  "I know we haven't been together that long but sometimes I have trouble remembering what my life was like before you were in it.  And when I do remember, I realize how boring it was."

"A little boring's okay once in a while," she said.   "Especially when you've been runnin' around killin' undead and centaurs and Alliance.  Boring sounds nice.  Boring doesn't usually get you killed."

"It's all about perspective, isn't it?" he said with a chuckle.

He was almost sorry to see his apartment building coming into view at the end of the block.  It had been such a tranquil stroll that he hated for it to end.

"And here we are again," Bridjin said.  "If we keep meetin' like this, people will start to talk."

"If the neighbors haven't complained about the noise yet, I don't think they care," he joked, although he had been afraid a snide note from the landlord might show up any day.  He unlocked the main door, and they were silent as they went down the hallway to apartment twenty-six.

Bridjin put a small bag of leftovers in the refrigerator, then turned dramatically around and gave him a sly look.  "Now then.  You get comfortable.  And naked.  I'm gonna go put on the new stuff I bought today.  I think you'll like it..." 

Intrigued, he disrobed in the bedroom while she disappeared into the bathroom with a bag from a clothing store he didn't recognize.  He didn't feel quite right being stark naked when she was going to be wearing something special, so he threw on his tan silk bathrobe before sitting down on the edge of the bed to wait for her.

At last the bathroom door opened and she strutted out, striking a pose.  "Well?  What d'ya think?"

His mouth sagged open as he gawked.  She wore a tiny negligee made of transparent purple fabric that barely covered her from her nipples to below her hips.  Black lace along the hem matched the garter that encircled her right thigh.   She had no panties on and he could just make out the orange tuft of her pubic hair through the sheer fabric.

An outer robe of darker purple hung from her shoulders, and as he watched she flung her arms wide and let it drop in a puddle at her ankles.  It dragged one of the thin straps of the negligee off her shoulder as it fell, and the fabric slid down to reveal most of her left areola.

"Well?" she prompted again, swaying her hips seductively as she walked toward him.  "Do you like what you see?"

He nodded rapidly and swallowed.  He had seen her naked before, so why was he struck speechless by the sight of her in lingerie?

Bridjin sat down, straddling his lap, and pressed her sizeable breasts in his face.  "I'm going to take your inability to speak as a compliment," she teased.

"Mmm hmm," he said, burying his nose in her cleavage.

She kissed his forehead, and he lifted his head to meet her lips with his own.  His hands wandered across her back and buttocks, savoring the feel of the smooth fabric over her soft skin.  She kissed him harder, playfully probing his mouth with her tongue while she slid the bathrobe off his shoulders.  He soon stiffened in arousal, and she pressed down eagerly against him.

He lifted her with his hands under her buttcheeks, laying her on her back in the middle of the bed.  "Oh, Bridjin," he sighed, kneeling over her to appreciate the sight of her curves covered in sheer violet fabric, her nipples standing out as twin pearls beneath the top edge of her negligee.  Her sun-colored hair spread out in a disheveled fan beneath her head, and she looked up at him with eyes that shone with lust and affection.

Yet it was not just the beauty of her body that gave him pause.   She may have started out as some pretty girl he brought home from the bar on a whim, but she meant far more than that, now.  Gazing down into her eyes, he felt a peculiar floating sensation deep in his stomach.  In that moment, he realized how important she had become in his life.  No happiness he had ever felt could compare with her smile.

She wasn't exactly smiling now.  It was more of a smirk, just as lovely but with an edge that was even more alluring.  "You gonna stare at me, or ravish me?" she asked after a full minute of his admiring.

"Both," he said, sliding one hand up her thigh to where the black lace garter was.  She shivered and lifted her knee as he slowly pulled the elastic down the length of her leg, brushing his fingers lightly along her skin as he did so.

They had had sex before, of course, in several ways and locations, but what he found himself wanting to do to her now went beyond all that.   He had never thought much about the distinction between 'having sex' and 'making love'...but as he planted gentle kisses from her ankle to her knee, it suddenly became clear, and he knew which one he was about to do.

By now his bathrobe was barely hanging onto his body, only held on by his forearms.  He slipped out of it, letting the tan silk flutter to the floor, and climbed on top of her wearing only a smile.

"Oh, Zhelios," she said softly, and her breath against his neck made him shudder.  "I want to make you happy."

"You do, Bridj.  You do," he said, putting one hand on the back of her neck to angle her face to his for another kiss.  "You make me feel more alive than I have in years."

"I feel so safe with you," she murmured, tracing his jawline with one finger.

He rested on his knees and elbows, holding his erection well above her body.  "You are, Bridj.  I..."  He looked down into her eyes, losing himself for a moment in their ruddy depths.  "I love you," he whispered.

She inhaled sharply, eyebrows arching in surprise.   "You...  You mean it, Zhel?"

"I do," he said, gently pulling the bottom hem of her negligee up toward her breasts, leaving nothing but air between their crotches.   "I love you, Bridjin.  Maybe I should have waited until we'd been together longer to say the words, but it's true.  The way I feel about you is like nothing I've ever felt before.  It's like your soul resonates with mine, like I've been waiting for you my entire life, and now that you're here...  I can't get close enough."  He brought the head of his manhood down to press against her opening, and she trembled in anticipation.

"Zhel, I...  I feel the same way.  You are the most amazin' thing that's ever happened to me.  I love you, too.  I love you so much it scares me, but...I need you."

He lowered his hips and eased his throbbing penis into her body, taking his time, savoring every moment as her heat swallowed him.  His eyes never left hers as she gasped at the sensation of him filling her, and he could tell she felt how very _right_ this was.

She clung to his shoulders, kissing his cheek.  "I love you," she repeated, so softly he could barely hear it.

"I love you," he echoed, holding her against his chest to feel her heartbeat pounding.

She lifted her knees to allow him deeper, and he began to rock on top of her, slowly at first but increasing in speed as his passion blazed out of control.   She writhed under him, digging her fingers into his shoulderblades, closing her eyes as dizzying sensations swept over her.

"Zhelios," she moaned, squeezing him tighter.

He grunted in reply, thrusting harder now.  His sweat-sheened buttocks clenched with each jerk of his hips.

Bridjin kept kissing and licking his neck, her breath scorching hot against his skin.  The light purple fabric was now bunched up in a sweaty bulge just under her breasts, no longer covering anything significant.  She gyrated her hips with a whine, and ran her hands from his shoulders down to his rear.

During previous romps together, she had announced when he was doing something she particularly liked, and when she was about to climax.  This time she said nothing verbally, but he knew her so well now that he could tell how close she was simply from her breathing and the speed at which her vagina contracted around him.  He drew partway out and then back in, faster and faster, sliding his length across her clit and then plunging in as deeply as he could.

She arched her back and gripped him with all four limbs as well as her intimate muscles, crying out in pleasure.  As she shattered with a desperate moan, he let his own needs take over.  He slammed against her as orgasm thundered through him, releasing a hot rush into her core.

They rode the waves together, shuddering over and over as the reverberations of ecstacy united them in a blinding moment of perfection.  All was right with the world, because she was the only thing in it.  His entire existence was condensed into that searing moment when he forgot where his body ended and hers began.   

His thrusts eventually slowed, and she relaxed the muscles she'd been using to grip him inside.  He pushed himself up with his hands and knees, pulling out of her with a wet squelch.  He remained crouching on top of her, looking down with heavily-lidded eyes to watch her pant for breath.

When she had recovered a bit, he brought his lips down to brush against hers in a light kiss, tasting the salt of sweat.  "I love you, Bridjin."

"Mmm...  I love you, too, hon."

He laid down beside her and gathered her into his arms.   She wrapped her limbs around him and snuggled close, tucking her head under his chin despite the fact that she was taller than he.  He lazily stroked damp hair off her shoulders and rubbed her back until she was dozing in utter contentment.  He followed her into slumber as the rhythm of his breathing came to match hers.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is almost smutless. I'm sorry. There's some dirty talk and sex mentions, but it's mostly plot. Zhel and Bridj have their first fight. Aww.
> 
> Warning for themes of addiction (to magic) and withdrawl, and related nausea and vomiting.

  

A week later, Bridjin was on her hands and knees scrubbing whipped cream out of the bedroom carpet.

"Remember, that was your idea," Zhelios said from where he stood by his closet, getting dressed for work.

"Yeah, but you were the one who got it all over the floor."

"Excuse me for having a little fun," he drawled.   "You weren't complaining when I was licking it off you."

"No, the licking was fine.  It was the squirting it on the floor that was the problem."  She ground the bristles of the scrub brush into the brown carpet even harder and made a frustrated noise.  "I should have done this last night when it was fresh," she sighed.

"Hey, was this our first argument?" he asked, sounding bizarrely happy about such a milestone.

She gave him a twisted smile.  "Nope.  Believe me, when we have an argument, you'll know it."  She bared her tusks at him in an expression that managed to be both threatening and charming.

"So noted."  He checked the many pockets of his work pants before he found his keys.  "Well, not that I wouldn't love to stay and banter, but duty calls.  It's my turn to skim muck from the fish pond today, so I might be late coming home."

She stood stiffly, rubbing her back.  "All righty.   I'll make a cold salad for supper so whenever you get home we can eat."

He stepped over and kissed her tenderly.  "Listen to us, being so domestic.  It's kind of sickening, isn't it?"

She shoved him playfully.  "After supper you can bend me over the kitchen table and fuck me senseless."

"That's more like us," he said with a wicked grin.

"There be more to life than screwin', y'know," she teased, pursing her lips.

"Of course.  But we're so awfully good at it."

She howled with laughter.  "Can't argue with that!"

"Farewell, my dear," he said, kissing her again before heading out the door.

For all his teasing about their domestic impulses, they _had_ settled into a comfortable routine.  Confessing that what they felt was love and not a casual lust had freed them from pretenses and allowed them to simply be who they were.

Bridjin finished cleaning the carpet and then changed the sheets on the bed for the third time in as many days, silently grateful that Dalaran had magic laundry services that made such a chore a very simple task.  With that done, she practically danced into the kitchen to see what she could make for supper.

Zhelios had taken leftovers from last night's casserole for his lunch, and she planned to have the same for her own noon meal.  She spent the morning humming an old Darkspear song to herself, chopping ingredients for a salad.

It was funny, she supposed, that she was so content doing such mundane things after years spent adventuring out in the world.  She knew people--female trolls in particular--who had become adventurers in the first place as a way to escape from such everyday drudgery.  

Although the Darkspear tribe was more progressive than most troll societies, it still had some backward ideas about the role of women.  She preferred the orcish school of thought that said such division was absurd and counterproductive.  Orcs only cared about strength, honor, and prowess in battle.

Bridjin rinsed off the cutting board and scooped handfuls of diced vegetables into a large copper pot.  

She had seen battles--too many for her liking.  She had fought and killed.  She was confident in her abilities to defend herself.  Her shadow magic was powerful, when she allowed herself to give it free reign.  More often she held back at least some of her full might.  She had seen far too many pay the price for delving excessively into dark magic to use it frivolously.   If she never had cause to summon deadly shadowbolts again, she truly didn't think she would miss it.  

As she stirred ingredients together to make her own blend of salad dressing, she wondered when she had last taken a life.  It would have been in Silithis, as that was the last place she had accepted a mission.  Probably a Twilight cultist, then.

She opened and closed a few cupboards, looking for the spices she had bought on her last shopping trip.

Had Zhelios ever killed anyone?  Probably not, considering he was still in training when the Second War swept over Lordaeron and Quel'thalas.   She glanced at the aquarium full of crippled and half-blind fish, and smiled.   The kind of soft-hearted elf who would rescue injured fish would be unlikely to relish killing, even if circumstances required it.

Some in the Horde would consider him weak, but it only made her fonder of him.  His kind, humorous outlook on life was exactly what she needed.

Bridjin mixed up all the components of the salad, covered it, and put it in the refrigerator.  There.  Supper was ready.

She had accumulated a fair amount of dirty dishes, so she ran water in the sink to clean them.  Odd that Dalaran residents cleaned laundry with magic yet used old-fashioned soap and water for dishes...  She knew Zhelios' budget was rather tight, and wondered if magic dishwashing existed but was simply too expensive.  She would have to ask him about it, if she could figure out a way to do so without wounding his pride.

It was still three hours until he would be home from work, and she considered what to do with the rest of her afternoon as she dried the last of the dishes and put them away.

The sound of a key in the front door's lock made her jump and whirl around.  The door opened, and Zhelios entered.  She took one look at his pale complexion and rushed over.

"What's the matter?"

He was visibly trembling, and did not answer her at first.   Instead he went straight to the cupboard where the medicines were and took out the glass jar full of mana crystals.  His hands were shaking so badly he could barely twist the lid off.

"Are you all right?" she asked, putting a hand on his back.

"Don't touch me right now."  His voice wavered and he sounded more panicked than angry, but she still stepped back as if he were electrified.  He took one of the largest mana crystals out of the jar and held it in front of him.  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.  The crystal began to glow a bright, pale blue.  Within seconds it flared and faded, and he dropped it to the counter with a deep sigh of pleasure.

Bridjin stood silently and watched as he took a second crystal, this one half the size of the first, and repeated the process.  When the light died out this time, he shivered and turned his face toward the ceiling, finally starting to get his breathing back to normal.

He looked unsteady so she pulled a chair out from the table and put it behind him.  "Sit," she said.

He turned to look at her with bloodshot eyes and saw the chair.   He sank into it with a shuddering sigh.  "Sorry, Bridj," he said, sounding more like himself now.  "The magic cravings are really bad today.   I was shaking too much to work so they sent me home."

She made a sympathetic noise and stood with her arms folded on her chest.  "That's the pits, mon."

"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes again.   "It's the strangest feeling.  You feel weak but coiled tight as a spring.   It gets hard to breathe.  You get nauseated.  There's a sort of buzzing in your ears.  You feel like if you don't get a big dose of mana soon you're going to die."

She could tell this wasn't hyperbole.  "That's awful, hon."  She reached out instinctively to put her arms around his shoulders but stopped.  "Can I touch you now?"

"Better wait a few minutes," he said apologetically.   "When I get like this I can leech magic out of people without meaning to."

She nodded and stepped back to lean on the counter.   "What causes that?  Wasn't the Sunwell reignited a few years ago?"

"It was, and most days it's enough, but...  How can I explain it?"  He rubbed his forehead.  "Think of magic as water.   If you stay in one place growing up you get used to the taste of the water there.   Then you grow up and move away, and the water someplace else tastes awful to you.   The locals think it's fine because it's what they've always known.  And there isn't anything wrong with it.  It's safe to drink.  It just tastes 'wrong' to you, and there are some days you'd give anything to taste the water you remember from home."

She gave a wistful smile.  "There was some fruit like that on the home islands, before we came to Durotar.  I've never tasted anything like it."

"The restored Sunwell is a little like that.  It's magic, pure and powerful, and you can draw from it to cast spells without any difficulty.   But it's just not the same.  Sometimes you need a...supplement."  He looked at the jar of blue crystals with a hint of self-loathing.  "It's embarrassing and I don't resort to that unless I absolutely have to, but...  It's still better than sapping mana directly from someone else."  He frowned deeply.   "I don't know how the remaining high elves do it.  By definition, they don't siphon magic from _anything_.  I can't imagine the willpower that must take, to deal with the withdrawl and the cravings.  They're obviously stronger than I am."

"We all deal with our burdens in our own ways, hon," she said kindly, pouring him a glass of water.  He took it from her and gulped it down gratefully.  "If you have to suck mana out of some crystals now and then, well, you're not hurtin' anyone."

He blinked rapidly, and she was surprised to detect a sheen of tears in his glowing green eyes.  "Thanks, Bridj," he whispered.   "That means a lot." 

" _Now_ can I touch you?" she asked impatiently.

He gave a half-hearted laugh and held out his arms for a hug.   She bent down and embraced him, resting her chin on his shoulder.  The tension in his muscles was palpable.  She rubbed across his shoulderblades, swaying slowly almost as if she was rocking an infant.

"It's okay, Zhel," she murmured.  "The fact that I hadn't noticed anythin' about this until now shows how well you deal with it.   You're doin' fine.  I'm sorry you have to go through this, but I'm here for ya."  She kissed him near his temple.

He swallowed, unable to speak while retaining the illusion of composure.  Instead he pulled her tighter into his arms, holding onto her as if she was the only solid object in the middle of an ocean.

She made hushing noises and nuzzled against him until his breathing finally slowed and his body began to relax.

"Better?"   She drew back from the embrace but remained crouching to be at eye level with him.

"Yes," he said quietly.  "Quite a bit, actually."

She planted a kiss on his forehead.  "Good."

The cupboard still stood open, and he looked up at the medicine there.  "You said one of those helps headaches?"

She stood up and grabbed a brown can.  "Yep.   Chew this.  I know it looks a little gross, but trust me, it'll help."

He wrinkled his nose at what looked like a cross between kobold tails and turds.

"They don't taste as bad as they look.  I promise."

He reluctantly picked one out of the can with the tips of two fingers and curled his lip in disgust.  "This proves how much I trust you," he grumbled, closing his eyes as he dropped the brown tendril in his mouth.  He chewed tentatively for a few seconds, then looked up at her in surprise.  "You're right.  It tastes like...hmm.  An ice cream cone that was dropped in the dirt."

She laughed.  "Yeah, that's pretty accurate.   It's just herbs, though, really."

"Do I have to swallow it?"

"Nah.  Just chew it as long as you can.  A few minutes, at least."

"All right.  Then I'm taking a nap.  I feel like I've run five miles uphill or something."  He slumped back in the chair and kept chewing.

"Poor Zhel," she cooed, kissing the top of his head.

"Not how I had planned to spend my day," he said.

"I think you just faked it to get out of skimming sludge from the fish pond."

"Ugh, believe me, even that is preferable to this."   He pushed the wad of herbs around with his tongue for a moment.   "Although...  Having you here made this a lot easier to handle."

She beamed happily.  "Really?"

"Yes.  Normally I end up sitting on the kitchen floor for an hour or two, hanging onto depleted mana crystals, staring into space and feeling like a complete failure."

She snorted.  "Ain't nothin' wrong with takin' medicine when you're sick, mon.  And you got a chronic mana sickness, so those crystals be like medicine.  Don't need to be ashamed of that."

Zhelios continued chewing the herbs as he gazed up at her with a peaceful, fond expression.  "I love you, Bridj."

"I love you, too, hon.  Headache any better?"

He swished the contents of his mouth around and pondered.   "You know, I think it is."

"I know my herbs," she bragged.  "You can spit out the solid stuff now, but swallow the juices if you can.  That'll keep helpin'."

He leaned over the garbage can and did as she instructed.

"Good boy.  Now, to bed with you."  She put an arm around his shoulders to guide him toward the bedroom, not trusting him to be steady on his feet.  He leaned on her but made it to the bed under his own power.  He flopped down with a weary sigh, turning to partially hide his face in his pillow.

Bridjin took an extra blanket out of the closet and spread it over him.  "There.  Now you just rest, hon."

"Bridj?"

"Yeah?"

"C'mere."  He waved one uncoordinated arm to beckon her over.  "Stay with me until I'm sleeping."

"Of course."  She snuggled up under the blanket, drawing him close.  With his head on her shoulder and her arms around him, he made a happy noise and soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

Bridjin stroked hair off his forehead and smiled.  A nap wouldn't hurt her, either, she supposed.  She closed her eyes and joined him in slumber.

 

* * *

 

It was nearly suppertime when Zhelios awoke, and he blinked heavily at the clock, disoriented.

"Feelin' better?"

He rolled over and saw Bridjin sitting beside him, propped up by a stack of pillows and reading a book he didn't recognize.

"Yeah, I think so," he said groggily.  He sat up and immediately regretted it as a wave of dizziness swept over him.  "Ugh.   Not that much, though."

She clicked her tongue in pity and reached over to feel his forehead.  "You don't have a fever."

"No, I'm not sick in that sense, I just..."  He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment.  "The magic is wrong."

"Huh?"

"Before I thought it was just me, but the more I think about it..."  He looked like he was listening intently to something that she couldn't hear.  "Part of why I love this city so much is that the very air and water are permeated with magic here.  It's like having a low dose of mana infusion all day long.  The loose magic is much thinner now, though, as if it's being drawn in for a purpose..."

"I can't feel anythin' different," Bridjin said with a shrug.

"I wouldn't expect you to.  But for my people, it's like hearing static from a gnomish transistor constantly, only in a pleasant way.   It's much fainter now, though, and--mmm."  He put a hand over his mouth and swallowed.

"Sick to your stomach?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I've got medicine for that, too."  She got out of bed and headed for the kitchen.

"Bring me another mana crystal," he said reluctantly.

She returned a minute later with a couple of small pills and a medium-sized mana crystal.  His hands were shaking once more when he reached out to take the latter from her.  By the time she had a glass of water from the bathroom for him, he had already drained every speck of magic from the crystal, and was breathing easier.  He took the pills with a weak smile of gratitude and laid back down.

Bridjin sat down on her side of the bed and reached over to put a hand on his forehead again.  "I can treat the symptoms, but I'm afraid I still don't understand what's wrong."

"The archmages must be channeling the latent magic from the city for a project of some kind," he said, unconsciously turning his head into her hand.  "Damned if I know what that might be.  They should warn us before doing something like that.  I'm sure I'm not the only blood elf suffering right now."

She stroked his forehead comfortingly.  "Now, the old me would go lookin' for someone to zap with a curse or two.  The new, domestic Bridjin can write a strongly-worded letter to the appropriate authorities, though."

This made him give a soft chuckle.  "I'll be all right.  I just need to lie low until they stop draining magic."

"Well, once that medicine calms your stomach, we can have supper.  I made that salad I was talkin' about earlier."

He grimaced.  "I don't really want to think about food right now."

"Sorry."  She leaned over and kissed him between his eyes, then settled back against her pillows and picked up her book again.

Silence reigned for the next half-hour, broken only by her turning pages and occasional quiet sigh or moan from Zhelios.  She noticed he was shivering and reached over to pull the blanket back up to his shoulders.  He seemed to be sleeping and did not react, but the trembling did not stop.  She suspected it was not due to a chill, then, but continued symptoms of mana withdrawl.

Bridjin frowned in concern, no longer able to concentrate on her book.  

Zhelios twitched violently, one hand reaching for something invisible near the ceiling, but did not wake.  His stomach made an unsettled gurgling noise.

She got up and fetched another mana crystal, placing it on his sternum.  He immediately seized it and clutched it under his chin like a child with a plush toy.  A moment later the crystal flared brightly, then dimmed to nothing.   He gave a relieved sigh and visibly relaxed.

Bridjin shook her head in a mixture of pity and confusion.   It would be a long evening.

 

* * *

 

Consciousness nagged at him, flitting around like an unwelcome insect, and he scowled.  No.  Not yet.

Yet he slowly became aware of several things that were not dreams.  He was lying on his side in bed.  He had a foul taste in his mouth.  It was dark in the bedroom but the lights were still on in the main room of the apartment.  His eyes burned as if he had sand in them.  There was a faint ringing in his ears.

Zhelios stirred, and realized that Bridjin was spooning him from behind.  Her chin rested on his shoulder against his neck, and one arm was draped over him.

A surge of gratitude made him reach for her hand against his chest and squeeze it.  It had been a very long time since anyone had cared enough about him to worry when he was sick.

He hated to disturb the cozy scene but a full bladder urged him to get up.  Reluctantly, he swung one leg out of bed.

Small, hard objects rained onto the floor, and he gave a start.   What...?

He squinted in the darkness and saw at least a half-dozen drained mana crystals scattered around the bed and adjacent floor.  Where had those come from?

His movement woke Bridjin, and she rubbed her eyes with a low groan.  "Oh, mon, what time is it?"

A desperate need to urinate sent him rushing into the bathroom without answering.  He emerged a short time later, and in the light spilling in through the bathroom door he saw even more mana crystals littering the bedside table.

"Bridj, what's all this?" he asked, holding one up.   It was clouded and dull, obviously no longer harboring any magic.

"How are you feelin'?" she countered.

He paused to consider.  "Better than I was.  My head doesn't hurt quite so much."

"Oh, good!"

The look of relief on her face was endearing, but he was still uneasy about the quantity of used mana crystals.  "Bridj, what did you do?   Did you keep bringing these to me?"

"I had to, Zhel.  I was afraid you were going to stop breathin', or have a heart attack, or somethin'."

He frowned angrily and grabbed the garbage can from the bathroom, counting under his breath as he picked up the spent crystals.   "Fourteen...  Fifteen...  Sixteen?  Holy Light, Bridj, you let me drain _sixteen_ crystals?"

"I did," she said defensively.  "You didn't see yourself, mon.  You were shakin' all over, your breathin' was shallow and fast, and your heart was going _thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump._ When I set one of those things on your chest, you got better for awhile."

Zhelios found one last crystal that had rolled partway under the bed, growled "Seventeen!" and fired it into the garbage can as if trying to break it.

"Whoa, hon, calm down!"  Bridjin had been kneeling on the mattress but now she stood up and came around the foot of the bed to face him.

"Calm down?  Calm down?"  His voice had an edge of hysteria to it.  "Seventeen mana crystals!  _Seventeen!_   Do you have any idea how seldom I even allow myself _one_ of those things?"

"You're not usually that sick, though."

"That's not the point!" he burst out, running a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth.  "I'm stronger than that!  I'm better than that!"

She put her hands on her hips.  "There's no shame in needin' a little help when you're in a bad spot."

"No shame?"  He gave a breathless laugh.   "What do you know about it?  You don't have elderly mages crossing the street to avoid you because they're convinced you're going to tap mana from them.   You don't have to worry every time you cast a spell if this is going to be the one that drains you so much that you have to choose between feeling exhausted or turning to a crutch like those damn crystals!  You have no idea what it's like to live every day with this constant craving for a magic that doesn't exist anymore!   Some people say we're greedy, or self-indulgent, or too lazy to do things without magic.  That's like saying non-elves are weak because they need food to function."

"I never said--"

"We never asked for this addiction!  We had no choice.  None!" he yelled.

"I know--" she tried again, but he continued to rant.

"You don't understand!"  He paced faster, shaking his head.  "Every day.  Every single day since the Sunwell was destroyed, we blood elves have suffered from an itch that cannot be scratched, a thirst that can never be quenched!  Some fall into madness, some try to distract themselves with hedonism, some drown out the cravings with fel magic, and some _die._   I may not be a real mage.  I may not be out saving the world.  I may not make a damn bit of difference in the grand scheme of things, but at least I can pride myself in knowing that I handle this addiction better than most.  That I don't indulge in mana supplements unless I absolutely _have_ to in order to live my life."

"Damn it, Zhel, I wasn't tryin' to make some grand statement about your coping abilities or anythin' else.  I was just tryin' to _help_ you!" she said angrily.

"It's none of your business!"

"Hey, you were the one who asked me to bring you another crystal after you'd gone to bed!"

" _One_ more!  Not seven-fucking-teen!"

"Bwonsamdi take you, you pigheaded elf," she snarled.   "How was I supposed to know what a huge fucking deal those stupid crystals were?  You never told me!"  She jabbed a finger at his chest.   "You were sick.  They helped.  Excuse me for wanting you to feel better!"

"You can't just-- _hulp!_ "  Zhelios started to yell at her, but in mid-sentence a sudden gag interrupted him.  He put a hand to his mouth and dashed into the bathroom.  Seconds later she heard him loudly vomit into the toilet.

She watched him heave from the bathroom doorway for a minute, shaking her head.  "I'd look for some medicine to help ya, mon, but apparently I'm not _allowed_ to."

Zhelios hung onto the toilet seat with both hands, retching and coughing as what little remained in his stomach splattered into the bowl.

Bridjin turned on her heel and stomped into the kitchen.   She angrily began opening and closing cupboards at random, straightening things that didn't need to be straightened and washing imaginary spots off the counters.

She heard the toilet flush, then the sound of water running in the bathroom sink, and Zhelios rinsing his mouth out and spitting.

Fine, she thought.  Let him suffer, if that's what he wants.

All was quiet for the next fifteen minutes.  Bridjin was vigorously scrubbing soap residue out of the sink, grumbling to herself about stubborn elves with martyr complexes, when a voice came from the bedroom doorway.

"Bridj?"

She completely ignored him and kept cleaning.

"Bridjin, I'm sorry," he said hoarsely.   "It's not your fault.  I know you were trying to help me."

She paid careful attention to polishing the faucet but still did not turn around.

"Would you at least look at me?"

She didn't, but finally spoke.  "You asked this mornin' if we were havin' our first argument, and I told ya you'd know when it happened.   Well, it's happenin'."

"Yes, I'm well aware.  And I'm trying to apologize if you'd just give me a chance."

She whirled around, purple skirt flaring from the rapid movement, and folded her arms on her chest.  "All right, mon.  Try me."  She couldn't help noticing how very pale he was, and how little energy he seemed to have as he leaned against the doorframe.  He was bare-chested, and she suspected he had stained his shirt while being sick.

"I'm sorry," he said evenly.  "I shouldn't have lost my temper.  You didn't know.  You were trying to help."

"Yes, I was," she said with as little emotion as possible.  "You scared me, Zhel.  I didn't know what was happenin'.  I thought--"  Her voice caught in her throat and she gave a small cough.   "I thought I might lose ya," she finished quietly.

"Oh, Bridj," he sighed.  "We should have had this discussion _before_ I had an...incident like that."

"Well, for what it's worth...I'm sorry I messed up.   I shouldn't have given you so many of those things when I didn't really understand what they did.  Is that why you barfed?"

"Not directly."  He rubbed a hand across his stomach.  "I think it was just the huge fluctuations in mana levels.  Too low to too high, so fast like that."

She crossed the room and tentatively held out her arms to embrace him.  He slouched in surrender and leaned into her. 

After a moment of standing in each other's arms, he said quietly, "Thank you, Bridj, for caring enough to try to help me.  Even if you went overboard."

"Of course, hon.  I don't want to see the guy I love suffer like that."

He squeezed her tighter, smelling the hint of mageroyal her shampoo left in her bright orange hair.  "I love you, too."

"Even after our first fight?"

"Even then."  He drew back to give her a weak smile.  "I'm afraid the make-up sex will have to wait, though.  I still feel like crap."

"I'll take an I.O.U.," she said, patting his back.   "Let's get you to bed, now.  You blood elves are always pale, but this is ridiculous, mon."

He made a half-hearted noise of amusement and let her tuck him into bed.

"Sleep it off, now," she said, kissing his forehead.   "Hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow."

His brow creased in a thoughtful frown.  "That's right.  I still don't know what the Kirin Tor was doing that siphoned so much of the city's ambient magic."

"Is it back to normal now?"

He concentrated for a moment, staring into space.   "It's less than usual, but not as bad as it was earlier.  I wonder what's going on."

"Don't worry about it, hon.  It's probably nothin'."

"Probably."

She set the bathroom garbage can next to the bed.   "In case you throw up again."

"I don't think I will.  Nothing left in there," he mumbled sleepily.

"All right.  Sleep tight, Zhel.  Holler if you need me.   I'll just be in the other room."

"M'kay.  Don't forget to feed my fish before you come to bed."

"Oh, the little buggers wouldn't let me forget," she said with a grin.  "Followin' me back and forth, givin' me those sad, sad eyes..."

He managed a short chuckle.

"Good night, hon.  Love ya."

"Love you too, Bridj," he said, already too drowsy to keep his eyes open.

 

* * *

 

Zhelios slept soundly until the next morning.  Bridjin tried to convince him to stay home from work, but he insisted that draining one--and _only_ one--mana crystal perked him up enough to make it through at least part of the day.

"If it gets worse I'll come home," he promised, kissing her on his way out the door.

She still didn't look convinced but did not protest any more.

Zhelios straightened his Dalaran tabard and left the apartment building, squinting in the sunlight.  He still felt the pulse of a headache behind his bloodshot eyes, and he didn't have as much energy as usual, but overall he felt much better after a long night's sleep.

He had walked two blocks before it dawned on him how few people were in the streets.  Was it a holiday he had forgotten about?

The ground felt unsteady under his feet, and he stumbled, grabbing onto a lamppost before he could embarrass himself too badly.  Was he really still that off-kilter?  That didn't bode well for the rest of his work day...

He rounded the corner onto one of the main streets and slowed down.  He felt very disoriented all of a sudden, and it took him a minute to realize why.

Icecrown Citadel was gone.  

He blinked and rubbed his burning eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating.  But no, the imposing metal towers that had been looming in the distance ever since Dalaran relocated to Northrend were simply gone, replaced by empty sky.

"What the hell...?" he said aloud.

The sky looked different, too, somehow.  The washed-out slate blue of the far north had been replaced by a brighter, warmer hue.  And the clouds were moving awfully quickly.

It hit him like a solid object, and he stopped in his tracks.

The city was moving.

He had no way of knowing where they were headed, but it all made sense.  It wasn't that he was wobbly on his feet:  the ground actually was in motion.  The Kirin Tor had gathered all the available magic to cast the movement spell.  Once they had momentum on their side they didn't need as much power, which explained why the magic was closer to normal today.

Yet even as the answers to those questions clicked into place, a host of new ones sprang up.  Why were they moving the city?  Where were they going?  Why hadn't they made an announcement or given civilians the opportunity to leave beforehand?

Zhelios stared up at the unfamiliar sky in a daze.  Should he go back home and tell Bridjin?  Should he report for work and hope someone there could explain it?

Curiosity won out, and he eventually opted for the latter.   As he neared the public works office, however, a high elf guard in the colors of the Silver Covenant spotted him and approached with a wary frown.  "What is your business?" he asked brusquely.

Zhelios eyed him in confusion for a moment before answering.   "Uh...I'm on my way to work.  I'm the assistant second manager of decorative water features."

The high elf glared at him suspiciously.

"I clean the fountains."

"Hmm.  On your way, then."

Zhelios continued on, but was even more befuddled than before.   True, the high elves and blood elves were not on the friendliest of terms, but such open suspicion was unusual.  Perhaps that guard was simply having a bad day.

He opened the door to the public works office and found it nearly deserted.  Normally at this time of day there were at least five or six employees coming in and out, checking their assignments, picking up tools, writing reports and having meetings.  Now there were only two, both of them high elves.

"Oh.  Hi, Zhelios," said the nearer of the two, a female old enough to be his mother.  "Wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Um, yes, well, I'm still not feeling one hundred percent, but I thought I should try to..."  His voice trailed off as he looked around the nearly-empty office.  "Where is everyone?  And why is the city moving?"

The high elf, whose name was Soladria, glanced at the other employee.  He was writing something on parchment in the far corner of the room, and did not seem to be paying attention to them.  "No one knows where the city's headed.  The Kirin Tor is being really close-lipped about it, but the rumor is that it's something to do with the war."

"The Horde/Alliance war?"

She nodded.

"Didn't I tell you Lady Proudmoore would get us involved?   I knew it from the moment she took over..."  Despite the irritation in his tone, he was deeply unsettled.  He knew that the color of his eyes marked him as the enemy of the Alliance and an ally of the Horde, whether he wanted to be or not.   Personally he had tried to stay away from politics.  Dalaran was his home, and had been since he was a young boy.  Once he had been a high elf, too, and through no fault of his own--except perhaps the lack of willpower to resist less-than-pure sources of magic to sate his addiction--he had become a blood elf.

"Zhelios," Soladria said under her breath, obviously hoping the other high elf would not hear.  "Be careful.  The Silver Covenant has been openly intimidating blood elves, and there are whispers that it's going to get worse.  Don't do anything stupid.  Just keep a low profile and don't antagonize anyone."

"The only people I ever antagonize are those who throw trash in the fish fountain," he said, forcing an unconcerned smile onto his face.

"I'd suggest you leave the city, but I know you have nowhere else to go."

"All I have is here," he said, thinking of both his physical possessions and less tangible things.

"I know.  Just...stay safe, okay?"

"I will.  Thank you, Soladria."

"Go home.  There's hardly anyone on the streets right now, with things the way they are, so the trash pickup should be minimal."

"Someone has to feed the fish."

"I'll make sure they get food," she said with a fond smile.  "Don't worry."  His soft spot for the fish in the fountain was not exactly a secret.

"All right.  Um...thank you.  For the heads-up, and everything."

"Don't mention it.  Now get out of here while the coast is clear."

Fighting a feeling of unreality, Zhelios retraced his steps back to his apartment building.  He did not encounter any more guards on the way, and the other civilians he passed kept their heads down and did not make eye contact.   Alliance or Horde, Sunreaver or Silver Covenant, high elf or blood elf, everyone seemed on edge and unwilling to draw attention to themselves.

His hands were shaking again when he tried to fit his key in the lock, but this time he could not blame magic withdrawl.

 

At first Bridjin assumed he was still too sick to work and that was why he had returned so quickly.  After he explained the situation, however, she fluttered around the kitchen and living room in a tizzy.  "It's bad enough the city be floatin' so high off the ground, mon.  Now you mean to tell me it's _moving_ , too?"

"Acrophobia aside, Bridj, this could be really serious," he said from where he sat on the sofa, staring at the aquarium.   "The Horde/Alliance war hasn't touched Dalaran yet, but if what Soladria said is true, that's going to be changing.  And with an Alliance leader at the head of the Kirin Tor, it's a safe bet things could get ugly for us."

"But Dalaran is your home.  It's where you're from, where your roots are.  You don't identify yourself with the Horde."

"I know that and you know that, but others just see my green eyes and assume...well, the worst, from their perspective."

She came over and sat down beside him.  "What can we do?"

He put a hand on her cheek and stroked the soft blue fuzz that covered her skin.  "When I figure that out, you'll be the first one to know."  He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.

She sank into his arms with a worried sigh.  "I knew all this was too good to be true," she whispered, almost to herself.

He held her tighter and rubbed her back.  "You still are."

"Oh, stop," she giggled.

They managed to distract themselves by making love right there on the sofa, then taking a shower together.  Bridjin put together a delicious supper, entertaining him with tales of her adventures across Kalimdor while they ate and cleaned up the kitchen.  After that they spent the rest of the evening entwined beneath the sheets, taking a leisurely tour of each other's bodies.  At last they fell asleep, exhausted but content.

Neither knew what the next day would bring, but for tonight all that mattered in the entire world was each other.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More plot happens, then back to the smut. 
> 
> Mentions of violence, vomit, and prostitution. Also angst, tears, and anti-troll racism.
> 
> Also, you know that in-game joke about female trolls going into heat and mating 80 times in one night? Bridjin isn't at that point yet, but this chapter does detail my headcanons on the subject.

The following morning, Zhelios paced through the apartment in his work clothes and Dalaran tabard, trying to decide if he should report for duty or not.   "They didn't tell me _not_ to come in..."

"Not in so many words, but that lady you talked to told you to lie low until things blow over."  Bridjin stood at the stove, scrambling tallstrider eggs for breakfast.  She was wearing her layered kilt and purple vest, just as she had when he first laid eyes on her.  "We don't know if things have blown over or not, so...   Sit down and have somethin' to eat."  The table was already set with plates, utensils and a bowl of fruit.  "These eggs'll be ready in just a minute."

Zhelios stopped by the aquarium and smiled absently at the fish before his expression grew serious again.  "I should venture out and see if anything's changed.  I refuse to hide like I've done something wrong."

"Have breakfast first," she said mildly, spooning steaming piles of eggs onto both their plates.  "I promise these aren't spicy like the last batch."

Remembering the heartburn he had suffered after eating her eggs the last time, he gave a grateful nod and finally relented, sinking into his chair with a sigh.  "All right, all right.  I'll eat first.  This smells great."

She kissed the top of his head on her way to the sink to rinse out the frying pan.  "And maybe I should be the one to go scout out the situation, hon.  If the Kirin Tor has a problem with blood elves..."  She took her place across the table from him.

"If Archmage Proudmoore is openly supporting the Alliance in the war, I don't imagine trolls will be any more welcome," he said darkly, sprinkling salt on his eggs. 

"We'll deal with that if and when it happens.  Eat, hon.  They're gettin' cold."

They weren't; steam was still rising from both their plates.   Still, he picked up his fork and took a bite.  "Mmm!  You've done it again, Bridj.  These are _awesome._ "

She grinned proudly.  "Thanks, Zhel.  Good to know I still got the touch."

"Oh, you have plenty of touches," he said with a rakish eyebrow waggle.

She shifted her weight in her chair.  "Let's give that a rest for today, hon.  I'm feelin' a little tender after yesterday."

"I thought trolls in heat could mate over eighty times in one night."

She rolled her eyes.  "That's an exaggeration, mon.   Everyone loves quotin' that, but eighty is a bit much.  Besides, I'm not in heat."

He took another bite before saying, "I must admit my knowledge of troll biology is a little vague at times.  What does being in heat mean?"

She grinned deviously.  "You'll find out in a few weeks."

"Hmm?"

Bridjin gave a slightly sinister giggle and finished chewing her eggs before explaining.  "You know the Blue Child takes three weeks to cycle from full to new and back again."

"Yes..."

"Well, about every three of its cycles--that's nine weeks, if you're bad at math--we lady trolls go into heat.  You think I've got a high sex drive now?  Just you wait.  When I'm in heat I'll be absolutely _insatiable._ "

He looked intrigued.

"Oh, it sounds fun now, but trust me.  You'll need some of that herbal aphrodisiac I showed you to keep up with me.  And even then you'll probably end up leavin' me alone with my toys for awhile."

"We'll see."

"Hon, I love ya, and I've got nothin' but good things to say about your stamina in bed, but three or four days of non-stop horniness gets old.   Hell, even I get bored by the time it's over."

He tried not to look intimidated.  "Well.  Um.   I suppose.  And when is this due to happen again?"

"About three and a half weeks, yet.  I usually stock up on food and stuff so I don't have to leave the house."

"I take it there is an evolutionary reason for all this?"

"Peak fertility, mon.  Our bodies want to make darn sure we don't miss it.  Like I said, after the first day or so it's not as fun as it sounds.  I'll be tryin' to sleep, and I realize I've got my hand between my legs, rubbin' away.  Hard to go back to sleep then.  Can't concentrate on readin'.  Takes forever to take a shower.  I get so hot and flushed I can barely stand to have clothes on!  Kind of ridiculous, really."

Zhelios was staring at her, his fork forgotten halfway between his mouth and his plate.  "Wow," was all he said.

She realized she may have shared a bit too much and took a drink of juice to chase away a nervous cough.  "Um, yeah, anyway, we have that to look forward to."

After a moment of awkward silence, he made an all-too-obvious attempt to change the subject.  "So, if things get too touchy here in Dalaran, don't feel like you have to stay.  If you want to go back to Orgrimmar for awhile until the situation is less tense, I won't be offended.  I'd miss you like crazy, but I want you to be safe."

She narrowed her eyes.  "If you want me safe, then don't tell me to go to Orgrimmar.  Until trolls start turnin' up dead, this place is still safer.  Besides, I can take care of myself, y'know.  Any Kirin Tor folks look at me funny, I'll melt their faces off."  Her tone was flippant, but he didn't doubt her abilities.  He had never witnessed her casting a spell, but as an elf he could easily sense the latent magic power she carried.  It was just one of the many facets of her that made her so intoxicating.

He managed a smile.  "Hopefully it won't come to that."

 

After breakfast, Zhelios insisted on venturing out of the apartment.  When she couldn't dissuade him, Bridjin came along. 

The streets of Dalaran were eerily empty as they strolled, arm-in-arm, toward the Sunreaver's Sanctum.  "Where is everybody, mon?" Bridjin asked, looking around nervously.

"Probably lying low, like we should be," he said quietly.  He changed course and turned into the pet shop.  There were no customers present, only the proprietor.

"Morning, Zhelios!" the gnome said with a wave.

"Morning, Breanni," he said.  "Business slow?"

She shuffled her feet uncomfortably.  "A bit."

Bridjin stood by while Zhelios leaned in close to speak confidentially.  "Breanni, I have a huge favor to ask.  If something...happens, and I'm not able to be there, will you see that my fish are taken care of?"

The gnome gave an understanding smile.  "Of course."

Zhelios took a spare apartment key out of one of the many pockets in his pants and slipped it into her hand.  "Thank you, Breanni.  I feel better knowing they'll be all right, if I have to...leave."

"You've been a loyal customer since the day the shop opened its doors," she said.  "I'd be happy to watch them for you."

"Good, good."  He straightened up and returned to Bridjin's side.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome.  Stay safe, Zhelios."

"I'll certainly try."

Bridjin peeked out the door and shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand.  "Somethin's going on down the street."

Zhelios joined her and peered toward the sound of shouting and...combat?  "That doesn't sound good," he muttered.

Four high elves in Silver Covenant tabards came down the street, escorting two terrified blood elf women.  The sindorei were weeping, and one of the guards poked the nearest one in the back with his stave to keep her moving.

"We've done nothing wrong!" the other protested through angry tears.

"Archmage Proudmoore's orders," the guard said gruffly.  "All you Sunreavers are to be taken to the Violet Hold.  You won't be harmed if you come quietly."

"What the hell...?" Bridjin whispered.

Zhelios ducked back into the store and pressed his back against the wall.  "This is bad."

"No kidding."

The sound of the prisoners' crying receded down the street, and Bridjin looked in the other direction, toward the Sunreaver's Sanctum.  Bursts of magic and the clash of steel were louder now.  "Sounds like not everybody's goin' quietly," she whispered.

Zhelios dared to peek out just far enough to see what was going on.  Two water elementals, both easily ten feet tall, were partially blocking their view, but they could see red-clad Sunreavers locked in combat with Silver Covenant forces.   There was a loud blast of arcane magic, and one blood elf suddenly flew through the air, landing hard on the cobblestones.  Crimson spread from where he lay, motionless.

"By the loa," Bridjin gasped.  "They're actually _killin'_ each other?"

"We have to get out of here," Zhelios hissed.

"How?  We can't get to the portal to Orgrimmar without passin' right through that mess."

It was hard to think over the sound of Thalassian battlecries, the gurgle of the hostile elementals, crackles of spells being cast, and weapons striking armor.

"I remember the incantations to open a portal to Silvermoon," he whispered.  "After a week of plodding across the Plaguelands on foot, I made sure to learn that one."  He stood away from the door and closed his eyes to concentrate.  He raised both hands in front of him almost as if he was about to dive into deep water, took a deep breath, and began to recite a spell.  He raised his arms above his head and crunched up his face with effort, chanting with more fervor.  His hands briefly glowed, but then he flinched and stopped.

"Little rusty?" Bridjin asked.

"No, I remember how, but something's blocking my spellcasting," he said, shaking out his hands to rid them of the tingling sensation.   "It seems our esteemed archmage doesn't want us fleeing."

"Well, damn."

"I imagine Krasus' Landing is blocked off, or we could hire a taxi flight.  You don't own a flying mount, do you?"

Bridjin shook her head.  "I avoid flyin' as much as I can.  Heights, you know."  She shuddered.

"Right.  Well...let's try to sneak back to the apartment, for now."  He cautiously looked outside.  "The street's empty in that direction.  Let's just hope the others are too busy fighting to notice us."

"I can fight if I have to," she said, her expression hardening.

"Don't," he said firmly.  "Better a prisoner of war than killed where you stand."  He took her hand and dashed out the door, taking a sharp left turn.  None of the combatants at the entrance to the Sunreaver's Sanctum paid them any heed, and the street was clear to the end of the block.   They paused at the corner to see if it was safe to continue.

The street was empty.  They kept going, sprinting past shuttered storefronts and abandoned kiosks.  The familiar lamppost that marked the turn onto their street was visible just two blocks away when a sharp voice rang out.

"Halt!"

They had no choice, as ice suddenly encased their feet, stopping them in their tracks.  A Silver Covenant battlemage strode toward them, and two guards followed him out of a building.

"Please," Zhelios said, holding out his hands to show he was unarmed.  "I work for the city.  I live a few blocks from here.   I don't--"

"Silence, _blood elf_ ," the battlemage barked.   "Your kind has betrayed the Kirin Tor."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Zhelios said.  "I have nothing to do with the Horde.  I have lived in Dalaran since I was a boy.  Please, I--"

"Nothing to do with the Horde, he says," scoffed one of the other guards.  "Yet he's got a Darkspear troll with him."

"We've done nothin' wrong, mon," Bridjin snapped.

Two of the guards seized Zhelios' arms and roughly twisted them behind his back.  He cried out in pain but was unable to get away thanks to the ice freezing his feet to the ground.

Equally rooted in place, Bridjin reached out to pull the nearest guard away from her lover, but the battlemage stunned her with a zap of arcane energy that made her bright orange hair frizz out.  She gasped and reeled to the side, only staying on her feet because they were frozen to the cobblestones.

"Leave her alone!" Zhelios snarled, eyes flaring brighter green.  "We are _innocent_!"

One of the guards smacked him hard across the cheek, and he grunted.  His instinct was to put a hand to the stinging, but his arms were still twisted awkwardly behind him, locked in place by the guards' iron grip.

"To the Violet Hold with both of them," the battlemage ordered, gesturing to dismiss the ice that held them in place.

The instant the icy shackles melted, a painfully shrill screech split the air.  The battlemage and both guards convulsed in primal terror and ran in random directions, cowering and moaning in blind fear.

Before Zhelios could process what was happening, Bridjin grabbed his arm and sprinted away.  He stumbled as he tried to keep up with her.   "Was that _you?_ " he gasped.

"Yeah.  Shadow magic.  But it won't keep them occupied for long."  She ducked down the nearest side street, unfortunately not their own, and ran until a dead end loomed ahead.  "Shit, now what?"

Zhelios fumbled in his pants pockets until he found the key he was looking for.  "This way."  He led her into an alley and unlocked a plain door.  They plunged inside and found a supply closet similar to the one where they had made love after their visit to the Purple Parlor.

They leaned on the shelves, attempting to catch their breath, limbs burning with adrenaline.  

Bridjin recovered faster than he did.  "Who do those blue-eyed assholes think they are?  They can't just arrest civilians for no reason!"

"It's war, Bridj," he wheezed.  "If the Kirin Tor isn't neutral anymore..."  He clutched his chest and concentrated on breathing instead of speaking for a moment. 

She took him in her arms and held him close, slouching to rest her chin on his shoulder.  They merely stood in each other's embrace for a minute until they were both calm enough to consider their next move.

"We can't stay in here forever," she said, looking around at the narrow, dingy room full of cleaning supplies and spare light fixtures.

"We won't have to," he said, going to a second door she hadn't even noticed, tucked in the back corner next to the sink.  He used his key again, and it swung open with a slightly ominous creak to reveal a flight of stairs.   Without questioning, she followed him up the steps.  They emerged on a rooftop terrace overlooking Krasus' Landing.

"Aw, shit, mon, not a roof," she said, stumbling back to lean against the door.

Zhelios peered down at the open area normally teeming with flying mounts.  Now there were no civilian mounts in sight, and the only people present were Silver Covenant guards who were standing watch over a row of Sunreaver dragonhawks.

"Just as I was afraid of," he mumbled.  He went to the opposite edge of the roof and looked down.  Normally this spot afforded a spectacular view of Crystalsong Forest, but now only empty ocean was visible in every direction.  "We're out to sea?  Headed _where_ , I wonder...  Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter at the moment."  He came back over to where Bridjin was standing with her eyes closed.  "Bridj, honey, I know you don't like heights, but this is the only way.  I'll cast spells to make us fall slowly.  I promise you'll be safe."

Her eyes snapped open.  "What?  You want me to _jump_?"  Her voice rose an octave in panic.  "Are you crazy, mon?  No.   No, no, no.  No way, no how, not happenin'."

"I'm not asking you to jump.  I'm asking you to hang onto me.  And trust me."

She stared at him numbly for a moment, shaking visibly.

He put a hand to her cheek and stroked her face with his thumb.   "I know what I'm asking.  If there was any other way..."

"Even if I don't die from a heart attack on the way down, then what?  We're in the middle of the loa-forsaken ocean, Zhel!"

"The magic dampening field that prevents me from casting a teleportation spell doesn't reach that far from the city.  Once we're out of range, I can send us to Silvermoon."

She gulped nervously.  "There must be another way."

"I'm open to suggestions, but...  We can't get into the Sanctum to use the portal there.  We certainly can't get into the Citadel.   The landing's under Silver Covenant control, so flying isn't an option.  I'm blocked from teleportation.  It's either this, or stay here and get caught.   Maybe they'll throw us in the dungeon, or maybe they'll just kill us, after the way we resisted."

She sighed, seeing his logic.  "I'm sorry, hon.  You might have been able to talk your way out of it if I hadn't been there with ya, bein' a troll, and all."

He kissed her fervently.  "I love you, Bridjin," he said, as if that was all the explanation needed.  Maybe it was.

"I love you, too, Zhelios," she said softly.   She took a deep breath to steady herself and stepped away from the door.   "Let's do this, then.  It won't get any easier."

The sound of fighting in the street below was growing louder, and someone screamed in pain amid the clamor of weapons and spells.

"You can keep your eyes closed," he said, looping one arm around her waist.  "Just hold onto me, and do _not_ let go."

"Oh, believe me, I won't," she said with a single, nearly-hysterical laugh.  She slipped her arms under his armpits and up to grasp his shoulders.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he assured her, squeezing his arms around her back.  "I promise."

"I trust you," she whispered.

He inhaled deeply and began reciting the spell that would slow their falling speed.  His concentration was almost broken by a loud crash somewhere nearby, and angry shouting reached them from the street below.  He pressed his cheek against hers and finished the incantation, then used all his strength to lift her over the twisted gold railing at the edge of the roof.

Bridjin shrieked nearly as loudly as she had to cast the fear spell on the guards, and he winced at the high pitch so close to his sensitive elven ears.

They floated past the ornate buildings of Dalaran and the island of soil on which the city rested, then were surrounded by only sky.

"It's okay, Bridj," he soothed, patting her back.  "It barely even feels like we're moving, right?  Nice and slow.  We'll just float down, very gently."  The wind rushing past them was chilly at this altitude, barely below the clouds.

Bridjin was trembling and whimpering, clinging to him as tightly as she possibly could.  Her arms were locked around his shoulders, her legs wrapped around him just below the waist, her ankles hooked together near his knees.   "Are we down yet?" she whined.

"Not yet," he said as calmly as he could manage.   "Unfortunately to fall safely you must fall slowly.  But we're fine.  Nobody's coming after us.  Just hang on."

"I am!  I am!"

He kept talking as they drifted downward, hoping to distract her.  "I wonder where we are now.  It's impossible to tell which ocean this is.  I never was very good at telling directions by the sun and stars."  He could feel the troll's heart pounding against his chest, and he brushed his lips against her cheek.  "I've got you, Bridj.  We're fine."

She moaned low in her throat.

"Good thing I gave Breanni the apartment key when I did," he said in as conversational a tone as if they were sitting at the breakfast table.  He felt a pang of grief for the only home he'd ever known, not knowing when or if he would ever return there.  "This way I won't have to worry about my fish while we're...away.  I don't know if you saw the aquarium in her shop, but it's a beauty.  I've been buying my supplies from her for years and years.  She'll take good care of my babies.  I'll really miss them, though."

He paused in the small talk to cast the slow fall spell again, making sure it would last until they reached the ocean.  Bridjin was still shaking against him, her clothes soaked with sweat.

"Over halfway down now," he said, stroking the back of her head.  "You're doing fine.  Hey, I just realized, you're wearing the same outfit you were when we met.  Big things happen in our lives when you're wearing that, I guess."

"If things like _this_ happen, I'll never wear it again," she said in a weak attempt at humor, her voice quavering.

He forced a chuckle.  "I wouldn't go that far.  You look so good in it.  Now, when we get to Silvermoon, let me do the talking.  You may not be Amani, but trolls in general aren't always treated very... _politely_ there."

She nodded.

"I assume you can swim."

"Hell of a time to ask, hon," she said with a snort.

"Well, we won't be in the water long, just until I can cast the teleportation spell.  Personally, I'm not the strongest swimmer, but I can tread water long enough for this."

"I swim fine," she said, still keeping her face pressed against his neck.  "Grew up on the seashore, y'know."

"Right.  I should be better at it, considering how much time I spend around water, but none of the fountains are deep enough to really swim in, except the one with the fish in it.  Did I tell you how I had to yell at a hunter the other day because his pet panther was scooping fish up and eating them?"

"No!"

"Yes!  I was so angry!  I mean, I know it's the natural order of things, but those are tame fish, there for decoration, not eating!"

"Poor things."

He re-cast the slow fall spell one more time.   "Another minute or two," he said.  "You're doing great, Bridj."

"I'm not opening my eyes until I feel the water."

"That's fine.  I've got you."  He squeezed her tighter and kissed the side of her head.  "It's kind of cozy, in a way.   Just the two of us, all alone out here..."

"Maybe for you.  I'm just tryin' not to barf on ya."

"Oh.  Well.  Don't.  If at all possible."

"I don't want to.  And I trust ya, Zhel.  In my brain I know I'm safe with you, but my body...  Whoa, mon, I just can't handle heights.  Never have been able to.  When I was a little squirt some of the other kids would go up on top of a cliff and jump into the ocean.  I wanted no part of it.   They told me it was fun, but every time I tried to get near it, my knees turned to jelly.  Got teased about it, but I really can't help it, mon."

"I know.  It's all right.  We're almost down, now.  Probably only three stories up, give or take."

She clung to him just as tightly, making a quiet whimper.   "Still too high."

"Get ready to get wet," he warned a moment later.

"And not in a fun way."

"Right."

Gently as a feather, they slid into what was, fortunately, a calm ocean.  Bridjin finally let go of him in order to tread water, opening her eyes to look around.  There was nothing but water, no matter what direction she turned.

"You made it," Zhelios said proudly.

"Yeah, thanks to you."  Without thinking, she looked up and saw the rocky underside of Dalaran high, high above them, traveling through the sky just below the puffy fairweather clouds.  "Oh, blessed loa," she gasped, seeing how far they had fallen.

Zhelios finished casting the spell to open a portal to Silvermoon.  A wavy red curtain of energy materialized in front of them, and he took her by the arm and pulled her through with him.

 

The mages around Sunstrider Spire turned to stare in confusion and surprise as a fellow blood elf and a troll suddenly appeared out of a swirling portal, sopping wet.  They both fell to their knees, gasping in exhaustion.  The troll doubled over and heaved up a gush of saltwater and vomit.

The sodden blood elf steadied her with an arm across her back, murmuring comforting words as he brushed dripping strands of hair away from her face.

She coughed and groaned but quickly regained her composure.   "Ooh, sorry, mon.  I was tryin' not to do that, but that magic portal thing was just too much on top of...all that."  She spat, then sat back on her heels.

One of the mages approached with wide eyes.  "Er...is everything...all right?" she asked.

The elf turned to his pale companion.  "So, um...welcome to Silvermoon, Bridj."

 

* * *

 

Fortunately, Bridjin had her pouch of gold in her pocket, so after a hasty explanation and apology to the mages in the spire, they found an inn in which to recuperate.  It was far from the city's finest establishment, on a street charmingly known as "Murder Row."  They passed what were obviously prostitutes, as well as a gaunt blood elf passed out in the gutter with a drained mana crystal in one hand and an empty liquor bottle in the other.

"Nice neighborhood," Bridjin muttered, glancing out of the corner of her eye at a warlock who was getting just a little too friendly with his summoned succubus.

"It's the nearest inn," he said with a shrug, opening the door for her.  "I didn't figure you wanted to walk any further than necessary."

The color had returned to her cheeks, but she was still dripping seawater and unsteady on her feet.  "True."

Even in this shady area of town, the blood elf innkeeper turned up his nose at the sight of a troll approaching the counter.  Granted, she didn't look her best at the moment, but she had a feeling it wouldn't have mattered if she were in her finest attire.  Zhelios edged past her and greeted the innkeeper with a weary smile.

"I'd like a room, please."

"By the hour, or for the full night?" he asked in a bored tone.

"For the full night, please."

"Seven gold."

Bridjin handed Zhelios the coins, and he passed them to the innkeeper.  The other elf hesitated just a moment, as if reluctant to touch something that had recently been in a troll's hand, but took the coins.  He made no attempt to hide the way he tested the coins against the edge of the counter, making sure they were genuine.   Apparently satisfied, he slid a key toward Zhelios.

"Much obliged."  Zhelios took the key and led Bridjin down a dimly-lit hallway, checking the numbers on the doors against the one on the key.   The choking smell of incense assaulted their nostrils as they went deeper into the building, and the sounds of those who rented the rooms by the hour were hard to miss.

"Oh, yes!" squealed someone as they passed room twelve.  "Harder!  Ooh, you're so big!"

"Size ain't everythin'!" Bridjin called, and Zhelios stifled a laugh.

They turned a corner into a thankfully quieter portion of the inn, and found their room at the end of the hallway.  Zhelios turned the key in the door and they went inside.

The room was small by any standard, with barely enough room to walk around the double bed on three sides.  The bathroom was even tinier, just a freestanding sink, a toilet, and a shower that had obviously not been cleaned recently.   Bridjin flopped onto the bed, face-first, and groaned.

"Let's get out of these wet clothes," he said, peeling his sodden tabard and tunic off in one motion.  There was no closet or bureau, not even a chair to hang them over, only a hook on the back of the door.  He stepped out of his pants and boxers and hung them beside the top half of his outfit.

He simply stood there, naked, staring at the Kirin Tor sigil on his wrinkled tabard.

Bridjin finally rolled onto her back and lifted her head to see why he was so quiet.  She saw his shoulders twitch as if in a silent sob.   "Zhel?  You okay, hon?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath but did not turn around.

She stood up and went to him, looping her arms around his torso and resting her chin on his shoulder.  "Oh, Zhel.  I know, hon.  Dalaran was your home."

He held his breath for a moment, then let it out with a ragged sob.

"Aww, c'mere, hon," she said, gently leading him to the bed.

He sat down and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, bowing his head.  "I'm sorry, Bridj.  I just...  This is the second time I've been forced out of Dalaran.  It's my _home_.  It always has been.  Everything was there.  My job, my friends, my history, my fish, my apartment...  Everything!"

She sat beside him, hip against his, one arm draped over his shoulders.  "I know, Zhel.  I know.  It's awful.  But...what was it you told me, when I was feelin' like I didn't have a place?"  She reached down to take his hand and gently placed it over her heart.  "You belong _here_."

He looked over at her, eyes brimming with tears.  Without a word, he put his arms around her with his chin on her shoulder, and began to weep as if his heart was broken.  

She swayed back and forth, stroking the back of his head with one hand and his shoulders with the other.  "There, there.  It'll be okay, hon.  This war will end, just like they all do, eventually.  That gnome friend of yours will take care of your fish.  And I'm not goin' anywhere."

He sobbed himself hoarse before he finally regained his composure.  She patiently held him, rubbing his back and making meaningless noises of comfort.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be.  I'd cry, too, in your shoes."

He pulled back and managed a half-hearted smile.   "You don't wear shoes."

She blew air through her lips in disdain.  "If you want to get technical..."

He went into the bathroom to blow his nose, and while he was gone she stripped off her damp clothes.  She hung her kilt on the doorknob, then squeezed past him to drape her vest over the edge of the shower.

"I...  I don't know what's going to happen next," he said quietly, staring at himself in the mirror.

"I do."

He turned to look at her with surprise, finding himself inches away from her bare flesh in the tiny bathroom.

"We're going to go to bed, fool around a little, get a good night's sleep, and worry about everythin' else in the morning."  She pressed herself against him, breasts squishing into his chest, lips seizing his in a gentle kiss.

"Oh, Bridj," he sighed, holding her tightly against him.  "I don't know what I'd do without you.  I know I said that before, but now...  I really need you."

"Well, luckily, you've got me," she whispered in his ear, then stepped out of his embrace and headed for the bed.

Still chilled and damp from the plunge into the ocean, they snuggled under the covers and laid in pleasant silence for quite some time before either of them felt up to anything more strenuous.  Eventually her lazy caresses awoke his desire, and she smirked as she felt his shaft swell in her hands.

"It's so good to be on solid ground again," she said slyly.  "I want you to pound me into it."  She laid flat on her back and pulled him on top of her.

Despite his physical arousal, he still looked distracted and distant.

"Zhel, look at me," she said, lifting her hands to grasp his face.  "I'm here for ya, hon.  I know today sucked.  I know you're scared.  I can't tell you what tomorrow is goin' to bring.  But you've got me.  I love you.  I want you to be happy.  I can't fix what's happened today, but I can give you this moment.  Just focus on me."  She kissed him tenderly but did not push any further contact.

"I love you, too, Bridjin," he said at last, seeming to relax a bit more.  "And I want you to be happy, as well."

"You know how to start."

He lowered himself onto her waiting body, rubbing his stiffness beween her legs.  She trapped his hips with her thighs, urging him closer. 

Zhelios slowly pushed the head of his penis into her body, and she shivered happily.  Unhurried, enjoying the expressions on her face, he pressed in and drew out, repeating the motion until she was panting in desperation and her juices gave him all the lubrication he needed.

She made a needy, whining noise in the back of her throat and clamped down on his rod.

Something awoke in him then.  There was no point in wallowing in self-pity, or fretting over the future.  He had the woman he loved there beneath him, around him, with him.  This feeling between them had not changed.

"Thank you, Bridj," he murmured, beginning to thrust faster.  "For everything."

She gave an understanding smile, then arched her back with a gasped profanity.  "Aww, yeah, there you go, hon, that's it, that's the stuff, mmm yeah!"

Neither of them had the stamina for anything drawn out or creative, but somehow it didn't seem to matter.  The primal rhythm of their bodies rocking together in the most classic position was exactly what they needed:   familiar, comforting, pleasurable, and natural.

She spasmed in climax seconds before he did, and they writhed together in a perfect moment of bliss where there was no need to think, no reason to worry, nothing to fear...only each other.

They rode the tremors of orgasm for as long as they could, then collapsed together in a heap.  Sleep swept them away quickly, mercifully bringing no dreams or unwelcome memories.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot, sexy shared bath, oral and doggy-style sex, plot, romance, sex, and plot.

 Bridjin's coin purse was even lighter by noon the following day, as they purchased new clothes and then had lunch at an outdoor cafe.  They lingered long after their meal was over, watching the crowds of blood elves and other Horde citizens wander by.

"You don't have any relatives we can crash with?" Bridjin asked.

"None living."

"I'm sure my aunt in Sen'jin would give us a sleep mat in the corner, but...no offense, hon, but you don't strike me as the type who enjoys roughin' it."

"Guilty as charged," he said, stirring his tea with a sigh.

"I don't want you runnin' off after wakin' up to find a scorpion on your head."

His green eyes grew wide.  "Does that...happen?"

"Oh, yeah, mon, all the time.  The little ones are mostly harmless, though.  It's the ones the size of a worg that you have to watch out for."

"Charming."

"So...yeah.  Durotar won't work in the long term."

Zhelios scowled at a pair of blood elves who were whispering and sneering at Bridjin as they strolled past.  When they noticed him glaring at them, they raised their noses and walked faster.  "And we can't stay here."

Bridjin glanced at the departing gossips and shook her head.   "You weren't kiddin' about this town bein' non-troll-friendly.  You'd think I had four arms or somethin'."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

She snorted dismissively.  "You don't have to apologize, hon.  There's only one blood elf whose opinion matters."

"Oh?"  His mouth curved into a sly smile.   "Do I know this elf?"

"I don't know," she said, sitting back in her chair with a twisted grin.  "He's about your height, real handsome with a cute little goatee and bright green eyes.  He's a little weird, but he makes me laugh.  And you know what?"  She dropped her voice to a whisper, her eyes twinkling.   "He was named Cunnilingus Champion of Dalaran three years in a row!"

Zhelios nearly choked on his tea.  "Ssh!" he warned, blushing crimson.

She giggled so hard she nearly fell off her chair.   "I'm never lettin' you live that down, y'know."

He sighed dramatically.  "I know, I know."  He shifted his weight and took another drink of tea.  "Moving on, our other options...   I don't think either of us has any interest in living in Undercity."

She shuddered.  "Does _anything_ actually _live_ there?  It's more about being dead there, I think.  Or undead, at least."

"Right.  Which leaves Thunder Bluff if we're going to stick to Horde capitals."

"Nope.  Not happenin'.  The city's on top of a mesa, and there are flimsy little rope bridges between different parts of town.  Only took one visit to convince me never, ever, ever to go back."

"Oh."

"Don't get me wrong.  It's a pretty city, clean air, relaxed atmosphere.  Just way too many high spots for me.  Plus it might be a bit... _rough_ for your tastes.   Open-air tents and log cabins, that kind of thing."

"Hmm.  Any fountains?"

"Not that I recall.  There's a pond, though."

"Any fish?"

"Just the ones they bring in from Stonebull Lake.  It's stocked for people to fish in, not for decoration."

"Oh."

"Sorry, hon."  Bridjin tapped her spoon against the side of her empty water glass.  "There's also Bilgewater Harbor in Azshara, but that's a little too close to Orgrimmar for my likin'.  Besides, it's all sized for goblins.  Might be a little cramped."

"Goblins...  We could go to one of the Steamwheedle Cartel's settlements."

"Everlook's too cold.  Ratchet's too close to Orgrimmar.  Gadgetzan's...well, not quite so isolated now that the ocean's close, but I've never liked all that sand."

"That leaves Booty Bay."

"Kind of a rowdy town, but it's a thought."

Zhelios folded and re-folded his napkin as he pondered.   "Well, nothing says we have to stay on this planet."

"Wha'?"

"I was thinking about Shattrath.  A few of my old school buddies are Scryers.  I bet they could put in a good word for me, maybe help me find a job there."

Bridjin considered this with an uncertain frown.  "I don't know, mon.  Outland?  That'd be a pretty big change."

"You told me 'same old, same old' isn't always a good thing."

"Yeah, but it isn't necessarily a _bad_ thing, either."

"It's a neutral city.  No one there cares if we're Horde, Alliance, or neither.  The Warchief, the Kirin Tor, my obnoxious ex-girlfriend...none of them can touch us there."

She nodded slowly, still not convinced but obviously trying to keep an open mind.  "I can't say that I've ever had a hankerin' to see Outland, but I hear things are pretty quiet there now that they got the Burnin' Legion beat back and the Illidari wiped out."

"That's what I've heard, too."

She pushed her chair back from the table and stood up.   "Let's take a walk, hon.  I'm sick of gettin' the evil eye from those guys by the fountain over there."

Zhelios' eyes followed her subtle nod and saw three blood elves in paladin-style armor, brazenly staring at the troll with expressions ranging from hostility to disgust.  He took a step in their direction, but Bridjin put a hand on his forearm.

"Don't bother, hon.  You won't change anything, and if you get beat up I don't have my herbs and potions to put ya back together again."

He grit his teeth and shot a venemous glare at the paladins, then put a protective arm around her waist as he led her away.

 

* * *

 

Bridjin insisted on a higher-class inn if they were spending a second night Silvermoon, and Zhelios wholeheartedly agreed.  The city was teeming with fellow Dalaran refugees, however, and the first two places they tried were full.   Eventually they procured a room at the inn in Falconwing Square, which was rather out-of-the-way but far nicer than the one in Murder Row.

"Ooh, fancy," Bridjin raved, falling backward with her arms outstretched to flop onto the bed.  "Never slept in a bed with curtains around it before."

Zhelios ran a hand across the gauzy, purple-blue fabric that draped around the plush bed.  "Smells like mana," he said, sniffing appreciatively.

"Ffft.  Elves," she mocked.

He pouted briefly before crossing the room to peek into the bathroom.  "Oh, my..."

"Hmm?"

"Feel like a bath?"

She joined him in the bathroom doorway and saw a raised marble tub with gold fixtures taking up one corner.  "That's a big tub."

"Say what you will about elves, but we know how to get clean."

Bridjin leaned against him with a devious smirk.   "Seems to me you're better at gettin' _dirty_ ," she said, nibbling on his earlobe.

"Ow, watch the tusks," he said with a wince.

She giggled and walked past him into the bathroom.  After a moment of inspecting the shiny faucet, she asked, "How do you turn it on?"

Zhelios sauntered toward her.  "I usually rub it slowly at first...oh, you meant the water?"

She elbowed him in the ribs.  "Yes, I meant the water, Mister Assistant Second Manager."

His smile immediately disappeared, and he gave a melancholy sigh.

"Ooh, sorry, hon, I wasn't thinkin'."  She brushed hair away from his cheek and kissed him.

"It's all right," he said quietly.  "I just have to get used to the idea."

She made a sympathetic noise and held him reassuringly close.

He accepted the gesture for a moment, then edged past her to check out the faucet.  "All right, lady, let a professional in here," he said, recovering some of his good humor.  "Ah, I should have known.  It relies on magic."  He inhaled deeply and willed a purple nimbus of energy to envelop his hands.  With one simple wave of his fingers, water began pouring out of the faucet.

Bridjin reached out to test the temperature.   "Hotter, mon."

He swirled a finger counterclockwise, and the water began to steam slightly.

"Better."  She sniffed the contents of a nearby jar and poured a few drops into the water.  Floral-scented bubbles blossomed up.  They watched the tub fill in silence for a minute.  "You know...   I couldn't help noticin'...  This thing is big enough for the both of us."

"You noticed that too, huh?" he said with a wink.   "How fortuitous."

"I don't know what that word means, hon, but if it means 'good to fuck in' then we're thinkin' the same thing."

He laughed.  "Close enough."

By the time the tub was full, their newly-bought clothes were strewn on the floor, and they were so busy kissing that he nearly let the water overflow before he came to his senses.

"Oops," he said sheepishly, letting some of it drain out.

"Why, Zhel, were you distracted by somethin'?" she teased, grinding against him.

"You could say that," he said breathlessly.   When he judged the water level to be low enough to accommodate them without spilling over, he swept her up in his arms and sat down with her in his lap.  Bubbles puffed up around them, sticking to her ponytail and the wall behind him.

Bridjin took a handful of white fluff in the palm of her hand and blew it in his direction, and he sputtered as the bubbles struck him in the face.   She laughed and began carefully piling suds on top of his head.  Soon he appeared to be sporting a beehive hairdo.  The effect only lasted a few seconds before the tower toppled sideways, but it was enough to send her into a fit of giggles.

Zhelios scooped up some bubbles and coated her chin, giving her a white beard.  "I do believe I like you better clean-shaven, my dear."

She blew out, scattering the bubbles but sending some up into her nostrils.  She crunched up her face and wiped across her nose, snorting and sniffling.   Without warning, she swung one arm around to splash him.   Squinting through the water and a glob of bubbles on his cheek, he returned the favor.  They splashed and tussled, laughing and gasping, until there was a soapy puddle on the floor and the water in the tub was approaching room temperature.

Quite by accident, he grabbed her left breast.  "Oh, that's right.  We were supposed to be having sex."

She stared at him for a moment, looking vaguely confused, before bursting into fresh giggles.  "We're not on a schedule, hon.   Sometimes bein' silly is just as much fun as bein' sexy."

He considered this.  "Best of both worlds, then," he said at last, leaning forward to kiss her.  He drew back again quickly, however, making a sour face.  "That soap tastes awful."

This only made her laugh harder.  "Let's get rinsed off and take this to the bed, then.  I'm not sure I want these smelly suds gettin' too far inside me, anyway."

They sat together and waited while the water drained.  Bridjin attempted to stand first, but lost her footing on the slippery surface and slid right back down again.  "Whoops!"

"Whoa, are you okay?" he asked, trying to steady her.

"Yeah, I just--ack!"  The next minute was an awkward scramble of wet, slippery limbs, laughter and muttered curses.  Finally, Zhelios managed to disentangle himself from her long enough to get fresh water running.   At last they were free of the soap bubbles and carefully exited the tub, holding onto the edge, the towel rack and each other.

"All right, then!" Bridjin said as if they had accomplished an epic task.  "Let's never speak of this."

Zhelios chuckled and wiped his face dry with a towel.   "I rather enjoyed it."

"I'm not sayin' I didn't, but that was not exactly my most graceful moment."

"Maybe not," he allowed with a shrug.  "But you can flail around naked on top of me any time you like."

She gave him a sidelong glance.  "No time like the present, hmm?"

He made an extravagant bow in the doorway.  "After you, my dear."

Bridjin brushed a hand across his chest as she walked past him, swinging her hips more than usual.  He leered at her backside as she sashayed across the room, grinning wolfishly.  

When she reached the bed, she laid down on her stomach in the middle of the mattress and rested her chin on her hands.  "Come get me..."

He did not require a second invitation.  By the time he got to her, his shaft was fully erect, and his eyes blazed with desire.  "You look like a painting, Bridj, posed there with the drapes on either side of you."

"You can't fuck a painting."

"True."

"You also can't take a bath with a painting."

"Also true."  He crawled onto the bed behind her and began rubbing himself against her shapely rear end.  "They do frown at this kind of thing in art galleries, too."

"Never been in one, but I don't suppose they want people gettin' frisky with the exhibits."

"It's sort of an unwritten rule," he said, rolling her over onto her back.  "They also do not permit _eating_ in the gallery."  He crouched down, bringing his face closer to her crotch.

Bridjin eagerly spread her legs and lifted her knees.   "Good thing we're not in a gallery, then."

"Hopefully _these_ lips don't taste like soap," he said with a wink.

She arched her back and inhaled sharply as his mouth covered her sex.

"Mmm, nope, we're good," he said, and his breath against her folds made her shiver pleasantly.  He took his time, pleasuring her just the way he knew she liked it best, teasing her to the brink and back several times until she was drenched in sweat and half-wild with need. 

"Oh, Zhel, oh please, oh loa, oh mercy," she panted.   "Please, hon, I...  I think I'm gonna _die_ if you don't...   If I...  Oh please!"

He finally took pity on her and brought her to climax with two fingers inside her and his lips working her clit.

Bridjin squeezed her legs around him and writhed in ecstacy, making incoherent noises as orgasm swept her away.

He kept licking, kissing and sucking until she went limp with a satisfied moan.

"Whoa, Zhel, hon, that was...  Yikes!  Is there a Silvermoon Cunnilingus Championship title?  Because I think you just earned it."

"I'll settle for you on your hands and knees," he said in a husky whisper.

"My knees are still pretty weak, thanks to you, but I'll see what I can do," she said with a breathless laugh.  She turned over onto her stomach and lifted her ass, and he wasted no time in mounting her.  He pushed his throbbing cock deep into her dripping hole with a low moan. 

"Oh, yeah, that's it, Bridj," he breathed, adjusting his stance with his knees planted alongside hers.  He pulled out and plunged in, humping her desperately.  "Mmm, yeah, babe, squeeze it!"

She swayed along with him as he rutted on top of her, clenching around his rod with each thrust.  "Ooh, yeah, Zhel, that feels good," she sighed happily.

He rocked faster, gripping her hips firmly to hold her in place.  "Umm, Bridj, yeah, oh!"  He curled forward, nearly lying over her back as he slid even deeper, his swollen sacs flush against her body.  A jolt of pleasure made him throw his head back with a grunt.  He cried out as he felt his release surge into her, jerking his hips wildly.

When his shaft went soft, he tugged out of her with a contented groan.  Chest heaving for air, he crumpled back against the pillows and wiped sweat from his forehead.  "Oh, Bridj, that was fantastic."

She sat up on the edge of the bed to stretch and ended up yawning.  "There's just one problem, hon."

"Hmm?"

"Now we need another bath."

He opened his eyes to look up at her, and after a sly moment of eye contact they both laughed.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Zhelios awoke at precisely the time he was used to getting up for work.  When he realized what time it was, and why he was awake, he stifled a sigh.

Fine, let the fountains get all leaky and full of trash.   It wasn't his problem anymore, and it certainly wasn't his fault.

He had almost convinced himself that he was more angry than heartsick when he felt Bridjin stir beside him.  Glad for an excuse to think about what he still had instead of what he had lost, he rolled over and put his arms around her.

She snuggled against his chest with a soft hum of contentment.   "Morning, hon," she mumbled.

"Morning, Bridj."

"What time is it?"

"The time I _should_ be getting up to get ready for work."

She opened her eyes and looked briefly confused until she fully remembered where they were and why.  "Sorry, hon," she whispered, hugging him tightly.

Not in the mood to discuss it further, Zhelios gave her one last, fond squeeze before slipping out of her embrace and heading for the bathroom.

When they were both properly awake, dressed and presentable, they headed downstairs to get breakfast.  The hostess in the inn's dining room was thankfully polite to them both, without a hint of anti-troll sentiment.

"So have you thought any more about Shattrath?" he asked as they waited for their food to arrive.

Bridjin took a drink of orange juice before replying.   "Yeah.  And, don't let it go to your head, but you have a point.  It's not a place I'd ever thought about livin', but it _is_ far from all this Horde/Alliance drama and bloodshed.  And it _is_ neutral.  We could do a lot worse.  I think we should go check it out."

He gave a thin smile.  "Good.  It should be easy enough to find a more, um, _advanced_ mage to make a portal."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

He twirled a spoon around for a moment, avoiding eye contact.   "And, Bridjin?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want you to feel like...you _have_ to come with me, wherever I end up."

Her eyebrows crunched together in a worried frown.   "Don't you want me along?"

He looked up immediately with a slightly panicked expression.  "Yes!  Of course I do!  But you deserve better than a washed-up water feature manager."

"Zhel," she said in a scolding tone.

"I'm broke, Bridj," he added before she could say any more.  "What little money I did have saved up is in the bank in Dalaran, and Light knows when I'll be able to access it.  I wouldn't even have the clothes on my back right now if not for you.  I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"Zhel, Zhel, Zhel," she said, shaking her head.   "Shut up.  I know you'd do the same for me if our situations were reversed.  It's not a matter of my money or your money, or any of that.  We're in this together, hon.  I have a nest egg, sure, but like I told you before, I don't have a place I belong...except with you.  Wherever that may be."

The hostess arrived with their breakfast, so they let their conversation drop for the time being.  Zhelios hesitantly took a bite of the scrambled dragonhawk eggs and chewed slowly.  "Not nearly as good as yours," he said at last.

"Thanks, hon.  And I agree," she said in a stage whisper.  "This bacon ain't bad, though.  What'd she say it was?"

"Lynx."

"That's a kind of cat, right?"

"Yes."

"Hmm."  She took another bite and chewed.   "I like it.  Kind of like tiger, but...not."

They ate in silence for a few minutes.  The tension gradually dissipated, and by the time they were done eating they were back to their usual, relaxed rapport.  "I can go ask around to see if there's a mage willing to teleport us to Shattrath," Zhelios offered.  "I still have a few contacts that might come in handy, although...please don't take this the wrong way, but I think it would be easier to get their help if I didn't have a troll with me at the time."

She waved off his concerns.  "Gotcha.  I should find an apothecary in the meantime to replenish my herb stash.  If I don't get a fresh batch of a certain potion, we should probably give the, uh..."  She made a suggestive gesture so only he could see.  " _That_ a rest, if you catch my meanin'."

He immediately realized she was talking about her contraceptive elixir, and nodded.  "Ah.  By all means.  I trust last night was...safe?"

"Yeah.  I only need to take it every couple of days.  We'd probably be fine tonight, even, but after that...  Gets a bit risky."

"Understood.  Well, then, how about we split up and meet back here in, say, two hours?"  He stood up, and she did the same.

"Works for me."  She leaned forward to kiss him, ignoring the scandalized look on the face of the older male blood elf at the next table.

"Oh, and, um, Bridjin?  I hate to ask, but...I will need some gold."

"Of course, hon.  How much?"

"I don't know.  Depends on how greedy my old acquaintances are."

She shrugged and shook her coin purse until a handful of gold fell onto his palm.  "That should do it."

"That's too much," he said uncomfortably.

"Eh, there's more where that came from.  I'll stop by the bank while I'm out and about.  _My_ savings are in a bank with branches in all the Horde capitals."

"A wise move."  He sighed.

"See ya later, hon," she said, giving him a peck on the cheek on her way out the front door of the inn.

 

* * *

 

Of the mages living in Silvermoon whom Zhelios remembered from his days at the Dalaran academy, one was away on business, one had been killed in Northrend and raised as a death knight, and one had moved to Orgrimmar since they last spoke.  He was initially disheartened, but Bridjin's gold was enough of a motivator to hire a portal maker.  Zhelios arranged for the mage in question to meet him and his companion--he conveniently neglected to mention said companion was a troll--on the steps of Sunfury Spire later that evening.

Pleased that he had accomplished something, he returned to the inn with a cautiously optimistic feeling.  He turned the key in the door and entered their room, sensing by the presence of her inherent magic power that Bridjin had beaten him there.

"Hi, Zhel," she said with what he thought was a slightly guilty smile, coming over to greet him with a kiss.  "Any luck?"

"Yes, we'll meet at Sunfury Spire at six o'clock for the portal."

"Excellent."  She still had a secretive grin on her face.

"And how was your shopping trip?  Get everything you needed?" he prompted.

"Oh yeah," she said with a nervous giggle.   "And then some."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  "Bridj, what did you get?"  He had heard rumors of the exotic boutiques tucked away in certain areas of Silvermoon that sold all manner of aphrodisiacs and other "adult" accessories.

"It's a surprise, mon," she said, looking away smugly.

"The kind of surprise I need to be naked for?" he asked slyly.

"Well, I suppose you _could_ be, but not really."

"Don't keep me in suspense, Bridj," he said with a slight pout.

"Later, hon.  When the time is just right."   Her smile faded.  "In the meantime, there's somethin' we should talk about."

"That sounds ominous."

"Don't worry, it's not, exactly, but..."  She wandered over to where a pair of dainty chairs stood by the window, carved from twisted white wood.

They each took a seat facing each other over a tiny white table that wasn't large enough to hold a meal for even one person.

Bridjin took a deep breath and blurted out, "Trolls don't live as long as elves."

He raised his eyebrows.  "True."

"Even if we manage to avoid wars and all that, I'll be goin' to the ancestors long before you will."

"Probably," he said quietly.  The thought had occured to him, the few times he allowed himself to be optimistic enough to hope they would spend the rest of their days together.

"Are you...okay with that?" she asked.

He gave a single, humorless laugh.  "It's not something we have control over, so...I guess I have to be."

"You still want to be with me, even knowing that I'm goin' to grow old while you stay...like you are?"  She studied her hands, no doubt imagining the wrinkles and age lines that would someday mar them.

He reached across the table and cupped her hands in his own, his pink fingers covering her blue ones.  "Bridjin, I cannot imagine being without you.  The unforeseen could occur and end my life before yours, but even if we both live as long as our people can...  I wouldn't give away a single day with you just because they may not be as numerous as I'd like."  His voice grew quieter as he spoke, emotion tightening his throat.   "It just makes our time together even more precious."

Bridjin swallowed, blinking rapidly to ward off the tears that threatened to spill over her eyelashes.  "Oh, Zhel...that's beautiful."

He removed one hand from hers to cup her cheek.  " _You're_ beautiful, Bridj.  I love you.  And I will love you even if you get all gray and wrinkly."

She made a sound that was part laughter, part sob, and hastily wiped away the few tears that had escaped.  "Hon, you're too good to be true."

He gave a self-deprecating grimace.  "A penniless failure of a mage who's been kicked out of his home city _twice_?  Oh yes, I'm quite the eligible bachelor."

"Oh, stop it," she scoffed.  "You make me laugh.  You make me feel safe.  You make me feel like I'm somethin' special.   You make me _happy_.  That's what matters, Zhel.  I don't care if you're an archmage, or walkin' behind a kodo with a pooper-scooper.  You are who you are, and I love you."

On a sudden, irresistible impulse, he rose from his chair and got down on one knee in front of her, still holding her hands.  "Brijin...I love you, too.  I love you with all my heart and soul, and always will.   You say I make you feel special, and happy, and safe...  I feel all that, too.  From the day we met, I've felt this... _connection_ with you.  I know it's all happened kind of fast, but this just feels so _right_."

She nodded in silent agreement.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me.  Whatever time fate gives us, I want to spend it with you.  I can't offer you much:  no fortune, no home, no titles...not even a ring.  But what I do have--my body, my heart, my life--are yours, if you'll have me.  Bridjin, daughter of Damjin...will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Bridjin merely stared at him for a moment with her mouth agape, before suddenly sitting back in her chair with a frustrated sigh.  "Damn it, Zhel, you ruined my surprise."

"I...  What?"  He blinked, utterly unprepared for such a reaction.

She got to her feet and stomped over to where her purse lay on the bed.  She rummaged inside and then whirled to face him with something small in her hand that glinted gold.  He stood to get a better look.  "I just bought these," she said, clicking her tongue in disgust.  "I was goin' to wait until the time was right to show you, and ask you, but since you beat me to the punch..."  Her annoyance faded as she approached him with her hand outstretched, and he inhaled sharply at the sight of two golden rings.

"Bridj, you...  You bought those?  For us?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding almost apologetic.  "We lady trolls usually aren't so bold, but I knew you couldn't afford them, and with you goin' on about how you're 'unworthy' or whatever bullshit that was you were tryin' to tell me earlier, I figured you'd never be brave enough to ask me, so I thought..."  Her hand started to shake, and he reached out to take the rings from her.  "I thought I'd do it," she finished quietly.  "Zhelios Goldriver, I want to marry you."

He fumbled for words, finally giving up and seizing her in a vigorous embrace.  They spun around a few times, laughing giddily, until they collapsed together on the bed.

"Oh, Bridj, I can't believe we both..."  He let the thought trail off with a breathless chuckle.

"It just proves we feel the same way," she said dreamily, nuzzling her nose against his cheek.  "You didn't lose the rings, did you?"

"No, no, they're right here," he said, opening his fist.

"Good.  Those weren't cheap."  She took the smaller of the two gold bands and gently eased it onto his left ring finger.   "Oh phew, it fits.  I had to guess on the size."

They were still laying flat on their backs, side by side.   Zhelios tenderly took her hand, caressing her wrist and knuckles with reverent touches before he carefully slid the other ring onto her finger.  "There," he said, drawing her hand to his mouth as if to seal the promise with a kiss.   "It's official.  We're engaged."

She crushed her lips to his in a fervent kiss, framing his face with her hands.  His hands brushed aside her bushy ponytail and lightly rubbed the back of her neck and shoulders.   She made an appreciative noise deep her throat and lifted one leg over his hip, pressing the lower half of her body against him.

"Mmm, how much time do we have before we have to go meet the portal guy?" she asked between kisses.

"Almost two hours."

"Plenty of time to consummate our engagement," she said with a wicked grin, beginning to unbutton his shirt.

"Is that a thing?  I've only heard the term used in the context of actual marriage."

"Are you seriously going to question this, mon?" she asked as she wiggled out of her blouse.

"Now that you mention it...no."  He pounced on her with a flurry of kisses, and she gave a playful screech before surrendering.

 

* * *

 

Multiple orgasms, two hasty baths, and an hour and fifty minutes later, Zhelios and Bridjin strolled hand-in-hand around the spectacular fountain in the plaza before Sunfury Spire.  Their meager possessions were all in a bag slung over her shoulder.

The mage Zhelios had hired for the portal looked only mildly surprised to see his client return with a troll, and did not seem bothered by it.   Gold exchanged hands, and soon a shimmering swirl of grayish-green energy stood before them.

"Direct passage to Shattrath," the mage announced.   "Pleasant travels."

"Thank you," Zhelios said with a nod.  "Ready, my dear?"

Bridjin eyed the portal warily.  "Yeah, I guess so.  Not too fond of these things.  They make me dizzy."

"Just hang onto me," he said with a smile, hooking one arm around her waist.  With that, they stepped forward, and the gaudy red and gold of Silvermoon dissolved into the ether.

When the rush of energy dispersed, they were standing in a massive building, a stonework dome rising several stories into the air.  Their eyes were immediately drawn to the glowing figure hovering in the center.

"Naaru," Bridjin breathed in awe.  "I've never seen one in the flesh--er, crystal--before."

"I have.  Once," he confessed.  "In Silvermoon," he added in a low whisper.

"Ohh.  Awkward."

"Indeed."  He inched away from the spot where they had materialized, toward the open archway that led out into the rest of the city.   "Come on, the Scryer's Tier should be this way.  Assuming that mage gave me correct directions."

Draenei guards eyed them with polite curiosity as they passed but made no move to stop or question them.  In fact, the ambiance in general was far more relaxed than it had been in Silvermoon.  No one seemed to be in a hurry, and they even spotted an orc having an amiable conversation in broken Common with a pair of night elves.

"You don't see that in many places," Bridjin muttered.

"You can say that again."

They continued on to the elevator that led up to the Scryer's Tier.  Bridjin stopped in her tracks and looked up at the platform as it zoomed skyward.  "Oh no.  More heights.  Damn it, mon, that's it, we can't settle here, I refuse to ride that thing," she babbled in a panic.

"It's not _that_ high."

"High enough to make my knees go wobbly."

"All right, you can stay here while I go ask around.  Hopefully my acquaintances are still here."

She sat down in the middle of the sidewalk and turned her back to the elevator.  "Do what you gotta do, hon.  I'm not budgin' from this spot."

He shook his head with a fond smile and leaned down to kiss the top of her head before boarding the elevator.

The first thing he saw at the top, besides the towering sentry robots that flanked the entrance, was the ornate fountain that dominated the terrace.  Taking this as a good omen, he continued on into the Scryer's Library. 

"Can I help you find anything?" asked a blood elf in flowing robes of white and black.

"I'm looking for some old friends of mine.  I'm hoping they're still in the city.  Do you know Aeldron, Veredis or Alamaro?"

The archivist nodded in recognition.  "Oh yes.  Alamaro sells wine near the southern end of the terrace.   Veredis would be in the bank down on the main tier of the city.  Aeldron is just upstairs."

"Wonderful.  Thank you so much."  He made a low bow and headed up the ramp that wound around the outside of the room.

Aeldron looked much as Zhelios remembered him:  an angular face that made him look older than he really was, skin that was pale even for one of the sindorei, and long, straight hair of golden blond.  Zhelios must not have changed much himself, because the enchanter recognized him as soon as he approached.

"Zhelios Goldriver?  Is that really you?  By the Sunwell, I haven't seen you in _years_!  How are you?" Aeldron said enthusiastically, setting down the spellbook in his hands to greet him.

"Well, I've been worse, but I've been better.  Until two days ago, I was living happily in Dalaran."

Aeldron winced.  "Ooh, sorry, man.  I heard about that.  Nasty business."

"To put it mildly.  My fiancee and I escaped with only the clothes on our backs."

"That's rough.  But congrats on the fiancee!"

"Thank you," he said, grinning widely.   "We're looking into alternate places to settle down, if one or both of us can find a job somewhere.  I don't suppose you know of any openings around here?"

"What kind of work?  Enchanting?   Crafting?"

Zhelios dropped his gaze to the floor.  "My fiancee has some skill in alchemy and herbalism, but as for me...I've been making ends meet by cleaning and maintaining the fountains and fish ponds in Dalaran."

"Ah, I see," Aeldron said, nodding slowly.  The fact that he didn't insult Zhelios' career path was one reason he had been on the short list of people who might help.  "Well, for that kind of thing you'll want to talk to Laraiza.  She's in charge of maintenance and such around here."

"I'll do that.  Thank you!"

"No problem, Zhelios.  Nice to see you again.   Bring your lady next time.  I'd love to meet her."

He suspected Aeldron would not be the type to object to a troll, but for the moment he merely smiled and nodded.  "I will, if I can convince her to take the elevator up.  She's terrified of heights."

"Ah," he said with a laugh.  "Well, there's the World's End Tavern in Lower City, if she's more comfortable with that."

"Thanks for the tip."  He gave a friendly wave and headed back down the ramp to look for the head of maintenance.  
 

 

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot and celebration sex

  


"Can you believe it's been a month already?" Bridjin said, drawing back the curtains to let morning sunlight into the room.  

Zhelios rolled over in bed to keep the light out of his eyes and made a vague noise of acknowledgment. 

Still naked from their activities the night before, Bridjin crawled across the bed to nuzzle her face against the back of his head.  "Are you awake, hon?"

He made another inarticulate sound.

"You want the shower first?"

This time the noise he made sounded like a negative, so she kissed his cheek and headed into the bathroom.  The only apartment in Shattrath that they could afford at the moment was tiny.  There was barely room for the double bed and a table with two chairs.  Bridjin had tried to downplay her disappointment at the lack of a real kitchen, but for now the cramped alcove with a sink and a narrow stove would have to do.  The bathroom had no tub, only a shower that wasn't even large enough for them to stand in together--not that they hadn't tried.

By the time Bridjin was clean and emerged with her bright orange hair wrapped in a towel, Zhelios was properly awake and sitting up on the edge of the bed.

"You look tried, hon.  You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said with a weak attempt at a smile.  "Just worn down."

She made a sympathetic coo and leaned down to kiss him.  "Take it easy today, if you can."

He shrugged pessimistically and edged past her into the bathroom.  The job he had secured did include cleaning the fountains on Scryer's Tier, but it also meant cleaning all the public restrooms, polishing the floors, dusting the extensive library, and even sweeping areas the enchanted brooms couldn't reach.  It was harder physical labor than he was used to, and although he rarely complained she knew it was taking a toll on him.

Bridjin made the bed and sat down on it, rubbing her hair dry as best she could.  There was no magic hair dryer here, and she was mildly annoyed at herself for getting used to such an extravagance.  Wind and sun had dried her hair for decades before.  It would be good enough again.

They did not plan to stay in the cramped apartment for any longer than necessary.  Between Zhelios' salary and the money she was earning selling potions and elixirs in Lower City's market, they hoped to be in a more comfortable home by the end of the year.  The wedding had been delayed for the same reason, although Bridjin insisted she didn't want an extravagant ceremony.  In the meantime, every copper counted.

There had been no word of Dalaran's current location or purpose.  Rumors were running rampant that the Alliance and the rebels led by the Darkspear tribe's own chieftan, Vol'jin, would be laying siege to Orgrimmar soon, and some suggested that the floating city would arrive to support them in the attack.  Others wondered if Archmage Proudmoore was moving the city to Dustwallow to replace the now-destroyed Theramore.  No one knew for certain, however.  Zhelios did not speak of it often, but she could tell by the way he insisted on keeping a newspaper subscription despite their tight finances, and scouring it for any mention of Dalaran, that his former home was never far from his mind.

Presently, the shower turned off and she heard him stifle a curse as he banged his knee maneuvering in the narrow bathroom.  When he emerged a few minutes later, dressed in his work clothes, she had a cold breakfast of fruit and pastries set out on the table.

"You have tomorrow off, right?" she asked as they sat down to eat.

"Yeah.  Did you want to go somewhere?"

"I want you to rest.  This new job's takin' everythin' out of ya.  You're going' to get sick or hurt if you keep this up."

"I said I was sorry about last night," he snapped.

She rolled her eyes.  "This has nothin' to do with how long you last in bed, mon.  I'm worried about you, Zhel.  You got dark circles under your eyes, and by the end of the day you can't even keep your ears erect, never mind other parts."

He self-consciously touched one of the delicate, pointed ears that rose from his reddish-brown hair.  "I'll be fine, Bridj.  There are adventurers out there doing far more strenuous tasks every day, and they get through it."

"Some do.  And some don't.  I've lived that kind of a life.  Maybe not on as grand a scale as those fightin' in Pandaria, but...  Not everyone's cut out for it, hon."

"Oh, I know," he said bitterly.  "I can't fight to free the oppressed or overthrow tyrants.  Apparently all I'm capable of is scrubbing toilets and mopping floors.  But if that's my fate, then by the Light I'll be the best damned janitor the world has ever seen."

"That's not what I meant," she said.  "You're a good person, Zhel, and I know you work hard.  Just promise me you won't overdo it."

He sighed and took another bite of fruit rather than answer.

Bridjin rose from the table and went to the door to see if the newspaper had been delivered yet.  It had, and she gasped when she unfurled it to read the headline.

"What?" Zhelios asked.

"I told ya that Hellscream was bad news, mon."  She turned to show him the front page, which had a large picture of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms--or what was left of it.  At first Zhelios assumed it was a black-and-white photograph, but upon closer inspection the sky was still blue.  The land, however, was leeched of all color and life, and there was a crater where some kind of structure had been.

"Hellscream did this?"

She gave him the paper, then read over his shoulder.  Details were sparse, but the Warchief of the Horde had awakened the heart of the Old God Y'shaarj, defiling the Vale in the process and destroying the beautiful lake in front of the Mogu'shan Palace.

"Horrible," Bridjin muttered.

"Very," Zhelios said, shaking his head.  "Just think of all the poor fish in that lake that never knew what hit them!"

She giggled and kissed the top of his head.  "Only you would think of that, hon."

"Well, the other stuff is terrible, too," he said with an embarrassed smile.  He got out of his chair and headed for the door.  "But life goes on, and there's spilled wine and Light knows what else that needs me to clean it up."

Bridjin intercepted him with a passionate kiss.  "Don't work too hard," she whispered.

He sighed and kissed her back with less enthusiasm than usual, then slipped past her out the door of their apartment.

 

* * *

 

Weeks passed in much the same way, with the grind of his new job wearing down Zhelios, and Bridjin worrying about him.  They had even had several arguments as he bristled at her overprotectiveness.

The day after one such spat, Zhelios merely grabbed some fruit on his way out the door and left before Bridjin could prepare breakfast.  He didn't have the energy to deal with any leftover hostility.

They usually met for lunch at the World's End Tavern in the Lower City.  It was easy enough for Bridjin to pack up her small display of alchemy products for sale, and he was allowed a half hour lunch break from his job.  His mood hadn't improved any as the day wore on, but he was starving after having skipped breakfast, so he hurried through the crumbling tunnel down toward the bottom level of Shattrath.

Bridjin was waiting for him outside the tavern, grinning with obvious excitement.  Relieved that she wasn't looking to argue anymore, he greeted her with a smile.

"Hey, Bridj, how's it--" he started, but she interrupted him by shoving the newspaper in his face.

"Look at this, hon!  Look!  This is, like, destiny or somethin'!"

He drew back instinctively, then took the paper from her and looked at where she was vigorously pointing.  It was the employment section, and she had circled one particular advertisement, then drawn about a dozen arrows pointing to it.

"WANTED:  THE GOLDEN LOTUS IS LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE IN RESTORING THE WATER FEATURES IN THE VALE OF ETERNAL BLOSSOMS.  PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH ORNAMENTAL FISH AND/OR OTHER AQUATIC LIFE REQUIRED.  INTERESTED APPLICANTS SHOULD INQUIRE WITH THE GOLDEN LOTUS REPRESENTATIVE AT THEIR FACTION'S SHRINE IN THE VALE."

Zhelios merely stared for a moment, re-reading the ad until it sank in.

Bridjin hopped up and down in excitement.  "It's perfect, hon!  It's like they wrote it just for you!"

He shook his head in amazement as a smile slowly took shape on his face.  "Wow, I...  I have to go after this."

"Damn right you do!  Go right now!  Go find a mage to teleport you!  You march right up there and tell them you know everything there is to know about fish and water features and all that stuff!"

"I'm due back at work in less than twenty minutes."

"Tell them you're sick.  I'll vouch for ya, tell them ya got the diarrhea or somethin'.  Besides, if this works out, you can tell them to take your crappy job and shove it."

"There's nothing wrong with the job, Bridj.  It's me who can't handle it," he said quietly.

"Whatever!  Get your butt to the Vale and tell them they'd be nuts to hire anybody else!"

"Let me eat something first.  I'm so hungry I can't think straight."

"That's because you were too busy pouting to eat breakfast," she teased.  "You stubborn, skinny elf."  She poked him in the ribs and then kissed him.

He followed her into the tavern, reading the help wanted ad over and over as if he could glean even more information from it.

 

* * *

  
  
A portal to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms would normally have been a strain on their tight budget, but Zhelios had plenty of mage friends among the Scryers, and had no trouble finding one to do him a favor.  
  
"Good luck, hon," Bridjin said, kissing him fervently.  
  
"Thanks," he murmured before turning to the swirling portal behind him.  He disappeared into the rift, and she thanked the other mage for his help before heading back to their cramped apartment to wait.  
  
It was nearly three hours later when she heard the sound of his key in the lock, and she pounced on him the instant the door opened.  "Well?"  
  
Zhelios swept her up in his arms and spun her around, grinning from ear to ear.  "I got the job!" he crowed.  
  
Bridjin squealed and squeezed him tightly.  "That's fabulous, hon!  I told you it sounded perfect!"  
  
He set her down on the bed and knelt in front of her, holding her hands.  "It's better than perfect!  They were thrilled to hear about my experience, and they want me to start as soon as possible!  And guess what?  They've giving us living quarters in the Mogu'shan Palace!"  
  
"In the palace?"  
  
"Well, it's in the part where slaves were kept in ancient times, but it's been renovated since then.  Maybe not as fancy as you're imagining, but better than this!"  He made a dismissive gesture at their current apartment.  
  
She leaned forward to hug him again.  "Oh, Zhel, I'm so happy!  This is what you deserve.  You are capable of so much more than mopping floors; you just had to find where you belonged."  
  
He put a hand on her heart.  "I thought I belonged right here," he said with a smirk.  
  
"You do, but bein' with me isn't exactly a career," she said with a giggle.  
  
He gently lifted her left hand in his, aligning their gold rings together.  "Since we won't have to pay rent anymore, I think we can afford that wedding now.  Assuming you still--"  
  
She threw herself at him, interrupting him with a kiss that sent them both thumping onto the floor.  "Yes, you stupid elf, I still want to marry you," she said with mock anger, peeling his tunic off as she planted kisses along his neck.  
  
"Good, good.  I was just...checking."  
  
There wasn't much room between the bed and the wall, and it would have made far more sense to get up onto the mattress, but they were so caught up in the moment that they began to make love right where they were.  Within moments their clothes were flung carelessly up onto the bed and Bridjin was rocking on top of him, giggling and gasping as his body responded to her.  Zhelios squirmed as the heat and friction grew, and before long he was stiff and ready.    
  
Bridjin lowered herself onto his rod and moaned happily as he filled her.  He shuddered and began to thrust upward.  She rode him enthusiastically, arching her back and clamping around his member.  
  
"Mmm, yeah, Zhel," she groaned.  "Give it to me, baby!  Harder!"  
  
Zhelios tried to pace himself, but it had been a long day and exhaustion began to take its toll.  He muttered an apology as he went over the edge, spurting his climax deep into her body.  
  
Bridjin quickly sent her hand between her legs, and between her own fingers and the tremors of his orgasm she managed to come before he went completely limp.  
  
"There," she panted.  "S'all good, hon."  She wiped sweat off her forehead.  "Mmm, better than good."  
  
He sighed in ecstacy and closed his eyes as she lifted off of him and stood.  She staggered to the bathroom to clean up while he gathered his wits.  He felt too dizzy to stand up yet, so he merely sat there, catching his breath, until she returned.  
  
"Let's get some sleep now," she said, gathering up their clothes.  "Then in the mornin' you can go tell them to take your old job and shove it."  
  
Zhelios leaned heavily on the bed as he stood.  "No, I'm going to thank them for the opportunity to work for them and apologize for leaving with such short notice."  
  
Bridjin blew air through her lips in disdain.  "You're too nice, mon."  
  
"And you wouldn't have me any other way," he drawled.  He kissed her cheek as he wound his way around her and into the bathroom.  
  
Before long they were cuddled up together under the blankets, Bridjin tucked cozily in his arms with her head on his shoulder.  He turned his head to nuzzle his cheek against her fuzzy hair as he felt sleep swiftly closing in around him.  
  
"We're gonna be okay, hon," Bridjin said softly.  
  
"Mmm hmm."  
  
"I love you."  
  
"Love you too," he mumbled, slowly running one hand across her back.  
  
They spiraled down into a sound sleep, dreaming of the future they would build together.  


 

* * *

 

_ Thirteen months later... _

Bright summer sun glared down on the lake in front of the Mogu'shan Palace.  It no longer glowed with mysterious power as it had before the Vale's destruction, but even normal water was beautiful.  Golden-leaved trees ringed the northern shore, giving shade to a stone dock that jutted out into the lake.  Finely-carved wooden benches lined the sides of the dock. 

A blood elf with dark red hair knelt at the edge, between two of the benches, staring into the waters.

"Plannin' on takin' a swim?" came an amused female voice.

He stood and turned to face the approaching troll with a wide grin.  "Check out these jewel danios, Bridj!  See how big they're getting?"

She came up next to him and peered into the lake.  She wore a sleeveless dress of cheerful yellow silk with pandaren-style embroidery running along the hem and neckline.  "Wow, those are the same ones that hatched last month?"

"Yep."  He took the basket of food she had brought and sat down on the bench to start his lunch.  "I know the pandaren say the power contained in the Vale's waters was destroyed, but I think there are still traces.  The fish grow so fast, and the air..."  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "There's still magic here."

Bridjin sat down beside him and took a sandwich out of the basket.  "I'll take your word for it, hon."

He dug around in the basket and found a container of peaches.  "How are things in the kitchens?"

"Xhao Mei is still sick, so I'm runnin' the place," Bridjin said with a mischieveous smirk.

"Don't let the power go to your head," he teased.

"I won't," she promised, taking a bite of her sandwich.  "I did persuade them to use my recipe for banana bread this time, though."

"Mmm."

"And I may have taken the opportunity to plan a little somethin' special for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Don't make me push you into the lake, Zhel."

"Oh!  Tomorrow!  Our anniversary!"

"Bingo.  You can live," she said with a wink.

"How could I forget the best day of my life?" he said smoothly, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"I wouldn't put it past ya..."

He kissed her neck just above the collar of her dress.  "I just can't believe it's been an entire year already."

"Time flies when you're havin' fun," she said, brushing a strand of hair off his cheek.

"I love you, Bridjin," he said softly.

She tilted her head to lean her forehead against his.  "I love you, too, Zhelios."

They drew back and returned their attention to their lunches.  "So what do you have planned?" he asked.

"It's a surprise, mon."

"Hmm.  I usually like your surprises.  Does this one involve food or sex?"

"Who says it can't be both?" she said, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I do like the way you think," he said with a chuckle.

They chewed in pleasant silence for a few minutes, enjoying the spectacular view.

"You know," Zhelios said at last, "I never in my wildest dreams thought I would end up living on a continent that most people thought was a myth, married to a troll."  
  
"I dunno, hon, you've had some pretty crazy dreams.  Remember that one about the giant murloc that climbed the tallest tower in Dalaran?"  
  
"It's a figure of speech."  
  
She knew, of course, and simply giggled.  "Well, for what it's worth, I never thought I'd end up livin' in a palace and married to an elf, either."  The Mogu'Shan palace had been renovated to house the personnel of the Golden Lotus and Shado-Pan, and Zhelios and Bridjin shared a modest set of rooms on the third floor.  She still loved bragging about living in a palace, though.  
  
"Life has a funny way of leading us to the place we belong...sometimes kicking and screaming."  
  
"Hey, screamin' isn't always a bad thing," she said, leaning over to kiss the side of his neck.  
  
He made an appreciative noise.  
  
"Besides, we found out where we belong," she said softly.  "With each other."  
  
He leaned back and regarded her in adoration, using one hand to swipe back a strand of fire-orange hair, leaving her shoulder bare.  "I love you so much."  
  
"I love you too, but if you keep lookin' at me like that I'll never get back to the kitchens and dinner will be late," she teased.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, do you want to explain to the rest of the Golden Lotus that their meal is late because we were foolin' around?"  
  
"It's our anniversary eve."  
  
"'Anniversary eve' is not a thing, Zhel."  
  
He closed in to kiss her with a fervor that left her panting.  "It is now.  Along with 'Cunnilingus Champion of Pandaria."  
  
She was laughing so hard she almost couldn't kiss him back.  Almost.  



End file.
